Reed, Jones make charge in Round 2 of International Series Link Hong Kong Open
HONG KONG - Two LIV Golf League stars are heading to the weekend within striking range of the lead at the International Series Link Hong Kong Open.
4Aces GC's Patrick Reed and Ripper GC's Matt Jones are T11 and five shots off the lead after Round 2 at Hong Kong Golf Club. Reed shot 2-under 68 while Jones had a stellar 5-under 65 as both stand at 7-under through two days. Other players who competed on LIV Golf teams in 2024 who will play the weekend include brothers Scott Vincent (T27) and Kieran Vincent (T40). Cleeks GC Captain Martin Kaymer made the cut and is T58, as is Fireballs GC's Eugenio Chacarra.
They are all chasing leader Ben Campbell, a LIV Golf reserve player who is the defending champion of this US$2 million event. The Kiwi fired a 5-under 65 on Friday and has a one-shot lead at 12-under over Nitithorn Thippong from Thailand.
Nitithorn backed up his opening day 62 with a 67 and is two ahead of a trio of players in third place: Korean Yongjun Bae (62), Kevin Yuan (68) from Australia and Japan’s Kazuki Higa (68).
Hong Kong’s No. 1 Taichi Kho did what everyone was hoping for and made his move carding a 65 and is in a group of players one stroke back.
Campbell appears to be in his comfort zone on the Fanling course, making four birdies on the back nine, one on the front and zero bogeys.
“I just think it's a course where, you know, I'm not the longest hitter, so it's good that you just got to sort of plot your way around and just be patient I think,” said the 33-year-old, who is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour having also won this year’s International Series Morocco. “I hit a lot of shots to sort of 10-15 feet today, and sort of just played patient. I didn't fire at a few flags when I wasn't quite in position and then rolled in a couple of 15 footers. So, yeah, I think it's just all about being patient around here and sort of not trying to overpower the golf course.”
Nitithorn, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour trying to make amends for a poor season, courageously bounced back from a bogey-ridden start.
Having started on the back nine he bogeyed three holes in a row from the 14th, suggesting another disappointing day on the golf course was ahead. But he was able to respond in the correct manner by making a birdie on No. 17 and then three on a stretch from the third hole.
He explained that a new relaxed approach is helping him to stay on track.
“Actually, I didn't think about it that much,” said the 28-year-old, about misfiring early on. “I mean, I feel like I really flowed today, and didn't think about if I made a bogey, but just let it go. And it's good that I have Sebastian, my caddie with me too, so he made me really have fun on the course and didn't think about it.”
He was helped by chipping in for birdie on the fifth, about which he said: “I just pictured that shot chipped it and it went in.”
Nitithorn has been one of the Asian Tour’s rising stars over the past few season. His first win came at The DGC Open presented by Mastercard in 2022, and he triumphed again that year at the International Series Singapore. He also claimed the Mandiri Indonesia Open last year.
Kho is exactly where he wants to be heading into the weekend, on the shoulder of the leaders.
“I thought today was a really solid round out there,” said Kho. “I feel like I was able to capitalize on a lot of looks that I had that I quite didn’t do yesterday. I feel like I was able to really get going in my round from the first hole, and I was proud of how I was able to be in the right state of mind and being zoned in from the get-go. So, I'm happy about myself about that, and hopefully I sharpen up a couple things tomorrow, and yeah, we'll get going.”
It's been a good two days work for a player who has been out of action for close to two months with a back injury.
He added: "My back has felt a lot better this week. It felt pretty good last week, and this week is progressing really nicely. So, lots of props to my team for getting me out here again, and yeah, it's almost a surprise to me that my body is feeling so good. So, I'll just continue to do what I've been doing, and hopefully I'll get back to 100% really soon.”
A history-making winner here last year at the World City Championship, when he became the first golfer from Hong Kong to win on the Asian Tour, he is now trying to become the first from the territory to claim the Link Hong Kong Open.
Two events remain this year, next week’s International Series Qatar, followed immediately by the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers where the American needs to steady the ship if he is to remain on top.
INTERNATIONAL SERIES RANKINGS SHAKE-UP?
The top of the International Series standings could look quite different after this week’s Link Hong Kong Open.
Current leader John Catlin missed the cut Friday while one of his closest pursuers, defending tournament champion Ben Campbell, moved to the top of the leaderboard.
Catlin entered the week 302.95 points ahead of Campbell, who is in fourth place in the season-long standings. But with a victory at Fanling worth 360 points, Campbell has an opportunity to leapfrog Catlin and take the points lead with two tournaments left in the 2024 season.
The ultimate prize is huge for the International Series champion – a full-time spot in next year’s LIV Golf League.
Catlin has topped the points list for much of the season, thanks to a win in Macau in March and a runner-up finish in Morocco in July when he lost a playoff to Campbell.
But now he’s in danger of dropping down a spot after suffering his first missed cut of the season. After opening with a 3-over 73, he shot a 2-under 68 on Friday, leaving him at 1 over and three shots off the cutline.
“I’ll go and work on some things and tidy some things up,” said Catlin.
“It is all in a lifetime, sometimes you make a few mistakes, and you learn from them, and you move on. I’ve still got plenty to play for. I know where I want to be and I know what I have to do and do it, it’s all about going out there and doing it.”
Campbell, meanwhile, is obviously comfortable at Fanling, where he won last year. He made four birdies on the back nine, one on the front and zero bogeys on Friday to take a one-shot lead.
“I just think it’s a course where, you know, I’m not the longest hitter, so it’s good that you just got to sort of plot your way around and just be patient I think,” said the 33-year-old from New Zealand.
“I hit a lot of shots to sort of 10-15 feet today, and sort of just played patient. I didn’t fire at a few flags when I wasn’t quite in position and then rolled in a couple of 15 footers. So, yeah, I think it’s just all about being patient around here and sort of not trying to overpower the golf course.”
Even if Campbell elevates to No. 1, the International Series race promises to go down to the wire, with the final two events – International Series Qatar followed by the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank, offering increased points.
First prize at Qatar will land the winner 450 points, with 275 and 157.50 for second and third place. In Saudi, the winner will get 1,000 points with 525 for runner up, 300 for third, 235 for fourth and 200 points for fifth.
In effect, the rankings race is alive until the final event of the season, with the top six of Catlin (900.58), Richard T. Lee (660.64), Peter Uihlein (621.10), Campbell (597.63), Lee Chieh-Po (572.52) and Michael Maguire (509.75) all technically still in it.
(Photo courtesy of Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour)