Sport | Golf
Pakistan comeback marred by 18th hole jinx
Munir, Shabbir's efforts come unstuck after a double bogey that leaves them one rung above bottom of standings
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 November 29, 2009
- Image Credit: AP
- Mohammad Munir and Mohammad Shabbir of Pakistan walk near the 6th hole during the Round 2 of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup golf tournament in Dongguan, southern China's Guangdong province.
Shenzhen, China : Pakistan returned to the World Cup of Golf after a gap of 27 years this week. However, it would be enjoying a mid-leaderboard respectability where it not for an 18th hole jinx.
Mohammad Munir and Mohammad Shabbir shot ten birdies yesterday but a double bogey at the last, where they dropped three shots on Friday, left them just one spot off the bottom of the leaderboard at the 28-team event.
"If they hadn't dropped those five shots they'd be right in it," Taimir Hassan Amin, secretary general of the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF), said at the Mission Hills Golf Club.
Advantage
However, it was Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy who kept Ireland atop the leaderboard for the third straight day. However, their three-stroke advantage was sliced to one by defending champion Sweden and Italy.
The Irish fired an 8-under 64 in the fourball of the $5.5 million (Dh20.2 million) tournament in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan. McDowell shot five birdies, while McIlroy carded three for Ireland, which had a total 26-under 190.
Sweden's Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson carded a 10-under 62, while the Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari shot a blistering 11-under 61 at the Mission Hills Golf Club.
Those three teams appear to be the only contenders heading into today's final round of fourballs — a more demanding alternate-shot format rather than the best-ball foursomes yesterday.
Munir and Shabbir fired Pakistan back into the World Cup for the first time since 1982 by finishing third in Asian qualifying in August.
Amin represented Pakistan at the 1975 and 1977 World Cups and feels that Shabbir and Munir have acquitted themselves admirably this week.
Scores
(two days of fourball and two days of foursomes with two-man teams):
190 - Ireland (Graeme McDowell/Rory McIlroy) 58-68-64
191 - Italy (Edoardo Molinari/Francesco Molinari) 64-66-61, Sweden (Robert Karlsson/Henrik Stenson) 64-65-62
197 - South Africa (Rory Sabbatini/Richard Sterne) 65-70-62, Japan (Hiroyuki Fujita/Ryuji Imada) 62-71-64
198 - England (Ian Poulter/Ross Fisher) 66-69-63, Wales (Stephen Dodd/Jamie Donaldson) 66-68-64
199 - Venezuela (Alfredo Adrian/Jhonattan Vegas) 67-67-65
200 - South Korea (Charlie Wi/Yang Young-Eun) 64-75-61, Australia (Stuart Appleby/Robert Allenby) 68-70-62), Argentina (Tano Goya/Rafael Echenique) 61-75-64, India (Jyoti Randhawa/Jeev Milkha Singh) 67-68-65
201 - Chile (Hugo Leon/Martin Ureta) 69-67-65
202 - Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen/Soren Hansen) 66-70-66, Singapore (Lam Chih Bing/Mardan Mamat) 66-70-66
203 - Canada (Graham Delaet/Stuart Anderson) 64-74-65, Germany (Alex Cejka/Martin Kaymer) 66-71-66
204 - Philippines (Marciano Pucay/Angelo Que) 68-72-64, Thailand (Prayad Marksaeng/Thongchai Jaidee) 67-70-67, China (Zhang Lianwei/Liang Wenchong) 65-71-68
205 - New Zealand (Danny Lee/David Smail) 67-68-70
206 - Scotland (David Drysdale/Alastair Forsyth) 69-73-64), USA (Nick Watney/John Merrick) 67-72-67
207 - France (Christian Cevaer/Thomas Levet) 67-73-67, Spain (Gonzalo Fernandez Castano/Sergio Garcia) 69-71-67
208 - Pakistan (Muhammad Munir/Muhammad Shabbir) 69-75-64), Taiwan (Lin Wen-tang/Lu Wei-chih) 67-74-67
211 - Brazil (Rafael Barcellos/Ronaldo Francisco) 68-75-68
Scores after yesterday's fourballs third round to the World Cup of Golf in Dongguan, southern China's Guangdong province, on Friday.
(Two days of fourball and two days of foursomes with two-man teams):
190 - Ireland 58-68-64
191 - Italy 64-66-61 Sweden 64-65-62
197 - South Africa 65-70-62Japan 62-71-64
198 - England 66-69-63Wales 66-68-64
199 - Venezuela 67-67-65
200 - South Korea 64-75-61Australia 68-70-62 Argentina 61-75-64India 67-68-65
201 - Chile 69-67-65
202 - Denmark 66-70-66Singapore 66-70-66
203 - Canada 64-74-65 Germany 66-71-66
204 - Philippines 68-72-64 Thailand 67-70-67China 65-71-68
205 - New Zealand 67-68-70
206 - Scotland 69-73-64USA 67-72-67
207 - France 67-73-67Spain 69-71-67
208 - Pakistan 69-75-64Taiwan 67-74-67
211 - Brazil 68-75-68
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