Singapore’s Mardan Mamat carries the weight of expectation of the home nation on his shoulders as he takes a one stroke lead into the weekend of the OSIM Singapore Masters, while The European Tour’s young guns have plenty to do if they are to challenge for the title.
Mamat fired a two under par 70 at Laguna National Golf and Country Club which lifted him to nine under par 135 and one clear of Australian Marcus Both, who shot 68, and Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng (69).
Leading the European Tour challenge, in the event jointly sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian Tour, is 25 year old Wade Ormsby from Australia at six under par 138 with the English pair of Ross Fisher, also 25, and Nick Dougherty (23), and Swede Peter Hanson (28) a further shot back in the group on five under par.
Defending champion Dougherty described his two under par 70 as “garbage” after his gains earlier in the round were undone with a double bogey five on the tricky par three 17th hole. Whilst he managed to avoid the water which guards the green, he found a terrible lie in the rough to the right of the putting surface. He then took two to extricate himself and two putted to fall back into the pack.
“There is still plenty of time to get back into it, but I am making it harder for myself than I need to,” said Dougherty.
“But there is a good chance if the leader is a guy who hasn’t won before, especially if it is an Asian player chasing a European Tour exemption, it might put enough pressure on him to stop him pushing on and getting to a score I cannot reach.”
Ormsby continued his progress in a sedate manner, following his opening 67 with a one under par 71 to lie three off the pace. Although he felt his ball striking was better than the first day, the putts resolutely refused to drop as he picked up just two birdies with just the one bogey on his card.
“I putted well but left a few on the lip,” said Ormsby. “I am still a couple back but looking good. To be this close after two rounds you can’t be complaining. My ball striking is getting better as the week goes on.”
Hanson also only dropped the one shot, bogeying his final hole, the ninth at Laguna, after he missed the green left. But the four birdies earlier in the round more than made amends as he advanced to five under par 139.
European Tour rookie Fisher, a graduate from last season’s Challenge Tour, continued his impressive start to his first year on Tour with another polished performance. Fisher, attached to Wentworth Club, finished joint fourth in his first event – the Volvo China Open – after leading going into the final round and followed that with another top ten in the South African Airways Open.
“So far the season has been amazing,” he said. “I was obviously thrilled with the start but wouldn’t say I was surprised as I know what I can do. But to get off to such a good start in my first event was different territory to me. And to finish fourth in my first event was fantastic and to go on and do the same in Fancourt, it has made me more experienced and a better golfer at the end of the day.”
Also on five under par are Australian Unho Park, whose caddie is Laguna’s teaching professional, and Canada’s Ahmad Dan Batemen.
But Mamat is the man to catch as he draws on the experience of 2004 where he was also leading at the halfway stage before finishing eighth.
“That inspired me,” said Mamat. “I had good memories from there and kept them for my next event which I won. I just like to keep the good memories in my head.”
Mamat started badly, bogeying the two par fives in the first seven holes and lost his lead to Marksaeng. But he rallied over the last 11 holes with four birdies, including chip in on the tenth, to top the leaderboard.
Marksaeng was heading for the halfway lead until he found the water on the 17th on his way to a triple bogey six. A birdie on the last was some consolation as he came in with a 69 to share second place.
