ASIAN TOUR:World number three Lee Westwood flirted with membership of golf's exclusive 59 club when he produced a sparkling 12-under-par round of 60 to open up a big lead in the Thailand Championships.
The former world number one led American John Daly by five shots at the Amata Spring Country Club after his spectacular opening round at the Asian Tour’s season ending event.
The 12-under-par total, a professional best for Westwood, matched Liang Wenchong’s Asian Tour record for lowest 18-hole score set in the 2008 Indian Open.
Westwood began in scintillating form with four birdies and an eagle to get to six under after five holes. Another birdie came at the par five seventh as he went out in 29 at the inaugural €7770,000 event.
The Englishman rolled in a 10-foot putt on the 13th to complete a hat-trick of birdies as murmurs of a possible 59 alerted the Thai crowds.
Westwood then left his birdie effort inches short on the par-four 14th before a two-putt birdie on the par five next left him within sight of the record.
The 38-year-old narrowly missed 12ft birdie putts on the 16th and par-three island green 17th to all but end his bid for golf’s magic number. However, he finished strongly by holing a similar length putt for birdie at the 477-yard 18th.
Westwood’s headline efforts were a boost to organisers who were hit by the withdrawal of US Open champion Rory McIlroy because of a viral illness last week.
Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant was tied third after firing a four-under 68 to sit alongside France’s Gregory Bourdy. US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel was tied fifth after the South African shot a 69.
Darren Clarke was best of the Irish after an opening 71, while Damian McGrane finished with a 73.
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR:American teenager Lexi Thompson fired a flawless second round of six-under-par 66 to establish a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.
The 16-year-old from Florida, carded six birdies on the Majlis Golf Course at Emirates Golf Club to finish on an eight-under-par total of 136 – two strokes ahead of Italian Margherita Rigon and Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson.
After an opening round of 70, Thompson went four shots better yesterday and credited an adjustment to her putting set-up for the improvement.
After being hyped as the next big thing in golf, Thompson became the youngest winner in LPGA history – lowering that record by two years – with victory at the Navistar Classic in September.
Should she triumph in Dubai tomorrow, she would be the second youngest winner in Ladies European Tour history, behind South Korean Amy Yang, who won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters as a 16-year-old amateur.
Gustafson signed for a bogey-free five-under-par 67 containing birdies at the third, sixth, ninth, 12th and 16th holes, but felt there was room for improvement.
Paraguayan Julieta Granada (71) and Becky Morgan of Wales (69) ended the day joint fourth on five under par, followed a stroke further back by Swedes Lotta Wahlin (74), Pernilla Lindberg (68) and Louise Larsson (69) in a share of sixth place with American Michelle Wie (67).
Ireland’s Rebecca Codd shot a second round 73 to match her opening 73 and make the cut by two shots.
LAUREUS AWARDS:US Open winner Rory McIlroy is one of six nominees in line for the World Breakthrough of the year prize in the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, while Darren Clarke is one of six vying for the comeback of the year award.
McIlroy has opposition from Jamaican athlete, Yohan Blake, British athlete Mo Farah, tennis players Petra Kvitova from the Czech Republic and China’s Li Na as well as South Africa Paralympic champion sprinter, Oscar Pistorious.
Clarke is one of two golfers in his category, Spain’s Sergio Garcia the other. The Ulsterman who won this year’s British Open for his first Major win also faces competition from French footballer, Eric Abidal, Chinese athlete Liu Xiang and two rugby union teams. New Zealand’s Crusaders and Australia’s Queensland Reds are also in the mix.
