Chris Wood tied for lead as delays hit first round in Singapore
England's Chris Wood sits tied for the lead at the Barclays Singapore Open today with the first round still incomplete, after encroaching darkness put the kibosh on further play for the day.
Play had earlier been delayed by four hours after thunderstorms hit the surrounding area, driving rain pelting the Serapong and Tanjong courses at Sentosa Golf Club - play is split between the two courses for the first two days.
The 22-year-old Wood shot a sparkling eight-under-par 63 on the Tanjong course, that layout offering a substantially easier passage - of the players currently occupying the top 50 places, only eight were playing Serapong.
Wood shot six birdies and produced an eagle on the 6th, but for all that he is only level with South Korea's Bi-o Kim, who shot eight birdies on a similarly flawless round.
But that pair must also contend with the looming threat of Spain's Ignacio Garrido, also eight-under but yet to finish his round, the 38-year-old having racked up eight birdies in just 11 holes before play had to be halted. If Garrido can hold his nerve despite the interruption, and with seven holes still to play, the Spaniard could conceivably be capable of reaching a European Tour record 59 tomorrow.
Japan's Shigeki Maruyama and Sweden's Rikard Karlberg are a stroke off the lead on seven-under, with Karlberg still to complete three holes. Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin and the USA's Anthony Kang are six-under, while 17 players are currently tied on five-under, amongst them Ulstermen Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, and Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez.
Phil Mickelson is four shots off the pace on four-under, the current world No. 4 hitting five birdies and a bogey to tie for 25th place. Joining Mickelson on the same score is Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Italy's Matteo Manassero, the 17-year-old who scored his first victory last month to become the youngest-ever winner on the European Tour.
The well-fancied Adam Scott is two-under, though the Australian has only played six holes of the Serapong course, while Ireland's Padraig Harrington has completed 18 holes at the more forgiving Tanjong, but could only come home two-under - and that despite an eagle at the 6th. Unfortunately the Dubliner also shipped a double bogey on the 12th.
Last week's HSBC Champions winner Francesco Molinari is also two-under after eight holes at Serapong, with a birdie on the 7th and an eagle on the fourth, though he also bogeyed the 6th. And Martin Kaymer is two under-on the same course after just six holes, the 25-year-old finding three birdies in three holes before bogeying the 6th.
But defending champion Ian Poulter is tied way back in 115th place on level par, albeit having only played six holes. Poulter started poorly, two bogeys on the bounce coming on the 2nd and 3rd, but he quickly recovered to birdie the 4th and 6th holes at the more challenging Serapong, where the final two days of the tournament will take place.
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