Malaysian Open: Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee put a dampener on Thomas Bjorn's birthday celebrations in the second round of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Bjorn celebrated his 34th birthday with a superb 64 for a 12-under-par halfway total at Saujana, seemingly setting a daunting clubhouse target on a course known as The Cobra.
Jaidee, the first Thai player to win a European Tour event when he triumphed here 12 months ago, later shrugged off a slow start and finished with three straight birdies to add a 66 to his opening 64 for a two-shot lead.
Sweden's Henrik Stenson matched Bjorn's 64 to claim third place on 11 under alongside Thailand's Prom Meesawat, two shots ahead of Ryder Cup star Miguel Angel Jimenez. Jimenez, Europe's most prolific winner with four titles last season, posted a 67.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington dragged himself back into contention after a poor finish to his opening round on Thursday, the world number eight firing a 66 to finish seven under alongside compatriot Gary Murphy.
Harrington was the model of consistency yesterday with three birdies on each nine for a flawless 66 while Murphy fired eight birdies in his 66, but dropped shots at the seventh and 15th.
Paul McGinley is a shot back on 138 after a 70 while Peter Lawrie also made the cut when adding a two under par 70 for a halfway total of 141.
Stephen Browne added a second round 70 but missed out by one shot after his disappointing first round of 75 while Damien McGrane also failed to make the cut after a 73 for 145.
Starting on the 10th in the third match out, Bjorn fired four birdies in an outward half of 33 and added five more to come home in 31.
"It's a nice way to spend your birthday," admitted Bjorn, who famously let slip a two-shot lead with three holes to play in the 2003 British Open at Royal St George's and has not won a European Tour event since 2002.
"The course is not playing too tough but 64 is a good round in the conditions. It's tough to focus, the sweat is running off you.
"I'm really pleased because when I hit balls on the range on Tuesday and Wednesday it was not what I was looking for but I found a few keys and it's working out well.
"I have changed equipment (to Callaway) and there is always that little bit of doubt early on, but I am settling very well into it.
"I spent a couple of days with the guys in London last week and found a new driver and I'm really pleased." Bjorn's trip home was part of a hectic schedule he has mapped out for himself in the coming weeks.
After finishing fourth in the Caltex Masters in Singapore he missed the cut in the Heineken Classic in Melbourne the following week, then flew home to London before flying back to Kuala Lumpur.
"I have the worst schedule over the next few weeks that I've ever had in my life," admitted Bjorn.
"I am playing the matchplay in California next week, then Dubai, then a week off followed by the TCL Classic in China, the Players Championship in Florida and a week off before the Masters.
"I was away from my family for five or six-week spells and even with this crazy schedule I am home every two or three weeks to see them."
Jaidee has now played the back nine at Saujana in 30, 31 and 31 shots in his last three competitive rounds, and is relishing taking on Bjorn over the weekend.
"We've played about three or four times and he's beaten me in the past but this week is different!" the former Thai paratrooper joked.
Golf Malaysian Open Saujana Second round scores(Irish in bold, British unless stated, Par 72)
130 - T Jaidee (Tha) 64 66
132 - T Bjorn (Den) 68 64
133 - H Stenson (Swe) 69 64, P Meesawat (Tha) 68 65
135 - P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 65, M Angel Jimenez (Spa) 68 67
136 - S Dyson 68 68, P Edberg (Swe) 67 69
137 - Padraig Harrington (Irl) 71 66, Gary Murphy (Irl) 71 66, M Lafeber (Ned) 69 68, N Fasth (Swe) 67 70, A Hansen (Den) 69 68, E Canonica (Ita) 67 70
138 - T Srirot (Tha) 72 66, Paul McGinley (Irl) 68 70, J Randhawa (Ind) 70 68, S Yates 69 69
139 - F Delamontagne (Fra) 69 70, D Bransdon (Aus) 68 71, T Wiratchant (Tha) 69 70, A Kang (USA) 71 68
140 - A Blyth (Aus) 69 71, A Groom (Aus) 68 72, R Derksen (Ned) 71 69, W Lian (Chn) 70 70, K Lin (Tpe) 70 70, J Moseley (Aus) 67 73, Gary Orr 71 69
141 - J Singh (Ind) 71 70, P Marksaeng (Tha) 70 71, M Eliasson (Swe) 71 70, T Wang (Tpe) 71 70, L Westerberg (Swe) 73 68, J Skold (Swe) 70 71, D Drysdale 69 72, R Gibson (Can) 73 68, Peter Lawrie (Irl) 71 70, S Manley 70 71, R Bain 72 69, M Mamat (Sin) 70 71, H Buhrmann (Rsa) 70 71
142 - H Nystrom (Swe) 75 67, J Lucquin (Fra) 71 71, A Johl (Ind) 69 73, R Finch 72 70, R Moir (Aus) 69 73, B Kennedy (Aus) 74 68, F Molinari (Ita) 69 73, M Ilonen (Fin) 71 71, U Park (Aus) 72 70
143 - T Pilkadaris (Aus) 67 76, I Garbutt 73 70, C Plaphol (Tha) 73 70, D Chia (Mal) 73 70, G Storm 71 72, C Harris (USA) 69 74, A Que (Phi) 73 70, S Ishigaki (Jpn) 70 73
144 - G Hanrahan (USA) 71 73, R Jacquelin (Fra) 74 70, S Barr (Aus) 73 71, S Wakefield 70 74, VS Moorrthy (Mal) 72 72, T Chen (Tpe) 70 74, C Rocca (Ita) 74 70, M Fraser (Aus) 73 71, G Choi (Kor) 74 70, S Hansen (Den) 70 74, J Knutzon (USA) 72 72, J Kingston (Rsa) 75 69, T Price (Aus) 70 74, J Larsen (Nor) 73 71, S Muda (Mal) 69 75
Missed the cut
145 - E Mizoguchi (Jpn) 73 72, M Both (Aus) 76 69, Stephen Browne (Irl)75 70, R Ismail (Mal) 73 72, F Henge (Swe) 70 75, M Hastrup (Den) 72 73, P Del Olmo (Mex) 72 73, S Dodd 72 73, Damien McGrane (Irl)72 73, N Zitny (Aut) 71 74 146 - L Zhang (Chn) 74 72, N Sato (Jpn) 72 74, S Scahill (Nzl) 69 77, R Karlsson (Swe) 76 70, E Michaels (USA) 73 73, H Kahlon (Ind) 70 76, P Marantz (Aus) 71 75, A Cruse (Rsa) 74 72, S Jones (Aus) 74 72, W Lin (Tpe) 72 74, S Hussein (Mal) 75 71, J Lomas 75 71, S Hurd 73 73, A Presnell (Aus) 78 68
147 - B Ruangkit (Tha) 74 73, K Storgaard (Den) 73 74, P Gunasegaran (Mal) 71 76, A Marshall 74 73, M Cunning (USA) 76 71, J Backstrom (Swe) 72 75, B Mason 75 72, T Chang (Tpe) 76 71, T Oh (Kor) 71 76, G Emerson 76 71, O Wilson 73 74, J Bickerton 76 71, E Lee (Nzl) 73 74, G Ghei (Ind) 75 72, K Jorgensen (Den) 75 72, S Little 75 72, A Zahari (Mal) 76 71 148 - J Chung (Kor) 70 78, W Kang (Kor) 75 73, A Pitts (USA) 76 72, R Nachimuthu (Mal) 74 74, S Kjeldsen (Den) 74 74, E Loar (USA) 73 75, G Norquist (USA) 77 71, J Mo (Kor) 74 74, C Williams (Rsa) 73 75, S Lee (Kor) 72 76, C Devers (USA) 72 76, S Taylor (USA) 76 72, G Fernandez (Spa) 72 76
149 - J Sandelin (Swe) 74 75, J Dawes (Aus) 74 75, A Fraser (Aus) 73 76, A Tadini (Ita) 76 73, E Lim (Mal) 77 72 150 - L Brovold (Nor) 75 75, B Saltus (USA) 75 75, P Sjoland (Swe) 76 74, J Lara (Spa) 72 78 151 - Y Chen (Tpe) 77 74, (x) S Sivachandran (Mal) 77 74, G Rusnak (USA) 77 74 152 - M Campbell (Nzl) 76 76, R Gangjee (Ind) 74 78, M Sasidaran (Mal) 78 74 153 - K Han (Myn) 77 76 154 - A Hassan (Mal) 75 79 158 - C Kamps (Rsa) 76 82 160 - S Othman (Mal) 82 78
Withdrawn: Wen-Tang Lin (Tpe).
