Overnight leader Suneson battled hard in the conditions to card a one over par 73 and go joint top with Olesen on six under par overall with the Dane being one of only nine players to break par in the blustery conditions. Olesen’s two under par 70 saw him edge ahead of the chasing pack of Steven Tiley, Kyron Sullivan and Cairo-based Swede Calle Carlsson all on five under.
“It was very hard to putt out there today,” admitted Suneson. “The greens are good but in this wind you have to get the ball close to the hole. I knew it would be tough for everyone today so to drop a shot and still be in the lead is a good result.”
Pre-event favourite Colin Montgomerie remains in the hunt for the prestigious Egyptian Open trophy – the oldest golf trophy in the region - despite a difficult second round at the JW Marriott Mirage City Golf Club.
The eight-time European number one and current European Ryder Cup captain had to settle for an even-par 72 after the stiff desert wind threatened to blow his championship charge off course.
“The wind made it very difficult out there today and, if anything, it got worse as the day went on,” said Monty after finishing on three under overall. “I finished well with birdies on the last two holes but again I struggled on the eleventh hole and dropped two shots because of really bad drive for the second day in a row. But I’m still in there battling away and all set for the weekend.”
Dropped shots on the first and sixteenth as well as the double bogey on eleven were offset by birdies on holes two, nine, seventeen and eighteen to leave the Scot on 141 (-3) and still within touching distance of the leaders who were due to finish their rounds yesterday (Friday) evening.
Sponsored by Citadel Capital, Drexel, Palm Hills, SODIC, BMi, Mercedes, AAIB and the Egyptian Tourism Authority, the $200,000 Egyptian Open sees the field cut to 60 players and ties for the final two rounds today and tomorrow (Sat/Sun).
For most of the Middle East-based golfers, it was a last chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Montgomerie, Suneson and the best young talent in Europe. Bahrain’s Nasser Yacoub Saleh improved on his opening round by three shots with a 79 (+7), while UAE youngster Ahmed Al Musharrekh flirted with making the cut before a disastrous ten on the seventeenth ended his ambitions.
Elsewhere, defending champion and home favourite Amr Abou El Ella bowed out with rounds of 81 and 80 to end his chances of making it an astonishing thirteen wins in what is the oldest golfing event of its kind in the Middle East and Africa.
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
egyptian golf
No comments:
Post a Comment