Reuters
Colin Montgomerie.
Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:
THE WORLD Golf Championships' Barbados World Cup is heading for a thrilling conclusion today after a pulsating third round of the team event at the Sandy Lane course yesterday.
Sweden (at 16-under 197), Argentina (198) and Scotland (199) lead the way from Italy, Germany, Mexico, the United States, Wales, South Africa and Spain who are all at 11-under 202 after three tours of the lengthy and breezy par-71 course.
Defending champions Wales thrust themselves back into contention with a superb nine-under 62 with Bradley Dredge carding four birdies and an eagle while partner Stephen Dodd claimed three birdies - all in a row.
That day's best effort was then matched by the hot Italian duo of Francesco Molinari and Emanuele Canonica. Molinari had four birdies, while Canonica had an eagle and two birdies.
A most impressive individual performance yesterday came from American veteran Stewart Cink whose six birdies saw he and team-mate J.J. Henry (two birdies) creep closer to the lead with a 63.
"We did today what we wanted to do, we got back to at least shouting distance," Cink said. "I think it might be a dogfight tomorrow. I like our chance in this (alternate shot) format," he said after yesterday's four-ball format.
However, the big dogs are still barking with the Swedes, Argentineans and Scots showing no signs of relenting.
Collected six birdies
Colin Montgomerie was just as superb as Cink as he also collected six birdies, but his partner, Marc Warren, could not find one as Scotland finished the day with a 65.
"It was important for us to stay in touch with the Argentineans because we think four-ball I their best event and they can hit the ball a country mile," Montgomerie said. "We got off to a slow start and were down by four or five shots but we stuck at it and on the back nine we had four birdies in a row. If we hit the fairways tomorrow we will be right in it at the end."
Swedes Carl Petterson and Henrik Stenson continued their great run at the event with an eight-under 63 to take the lead with 18 holes to play.
However, led by big Angel Cabrera, second-placed Argentina look the real danger team to take the prize. They didn't have their best day yesterday - a four-under 67, but a stroke is next to nothing to make up in two-ball play.
A large crowd followed the players around yesterday including this year's Jamaica Open champion Johnny Bloomfield and Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) president Gordon Hutchinson.
The galleries are expected to be even larger today as the tournament reaches its climax. The winning team will take home US$1.4 million of a total purse of US$4 million.
Jamaican duo impress with four-under 67
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:
JAMAICA INCHED out of last place at the World Golf Championship yesterday and are looking for a big finish in today's final round at the Sandy Lane course.
Starting the day three strokes behind the second-to-last side, Barbados, Peter Horrobin and Delroy Cambridge played their best golf of the tournament to card a four-under 67 in the four-ball event and snatch a share of 22nd place with Japan with a three-day gross score of 215. Barbados are a further stroke back and then there's a tidy break to Singapore (211).
Better mood
When it was suggested the Jamaicans could finish outright 22 and claim US$42,000 instead of US$41,000 and US$40,000 for coming in second last or last, Cambridge said: "What do you mean? We could shoot a 60 tomorrow - 30 on the front nine and 30 on the back before the breeze picks up."
While that appears highly unlikely, there was a better mood in the Jamaica camp after yesterday's round.
"We didn't want to come here just to make up the numbers," Horrobin said. "We wanted to post some good scores. We did today and hopefully we can tomorrow and finish on a high."
Hitting the fairways
Cambridge said the key to yesterday's success was staying out of trouble and hitting the fairways.
"We were in good positions on almost every hole but we did miss a few putts," he said.
Horrobin said he enjoyed playing with the young Bajan combination which was followed by a good-sized gallery which was partisan but fair.
"It was fun today and those Barbadians (James Johnson and Roger Beale Jnr) are real nice kids. I think if you add their ages up, they are almost younger than Delroy," he joked.
- T. G.
