World No. 5 Graeme McDowell continued his love affair with Celtic Manor on Friday, booming out one of the longest drives of his career as he moved within one shot of the Wales Open second-round lead.
A three-under-par 68 gave the defending champion a seven-under total of 135 at the venue for last year’s Ryder Cup, one behind Alexander Noren of Sweden (67).
McDowell cracked a 385-yard drive at the 18th hole to set up his fifth birdie of the day.
“I can’t remember hitting the ball any longer than that,” the Briton told reporters at the course where he recorded the winning Ryder Cup point for Europe in October.
Last year, McDowell was six shots off the Wales Open pace going into the weekend, but then carded rounds of 64 and 63 to storm to victory by three strokes.
Brimming with confidence from his win in Wales, the Northern Irishman went on to claim his first major title in the US Open at Pebble Beach.
Noren, the 2009 European Masters winner, also claimed four birdies in five holes with his run starting at the 14th.
The 28-year-old Swede said he had drastically reduced his practice this week.
In joint third place on 136 were Briton Jamie Donaldson (68) and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson (69).
McDowell’s Ryder Cup teammate Peter Hanson of Sweden was among a trio of players three strokes off the lead that included 50-year-old Briton Barry Lane and overnight leader Keith Horne of South Africa.
Colin Montgomerie, captain of Europe’s Ryder Cup team last year, produced his worst two opening rounds for 20 years as he plummeted to 157, 15 over.
Montgomerie’s major mission now is to protect a proud qualifying record for the British Open that stretches a little longer.
Montgomerie has played in the British Open for 21 straight years since making his debut in 1990, but that streak will be broken unless he can navigate through a qualifying event at Sunningdale tomorrow for the tournament at Royal St George’s next month.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two