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**truebluefan** · 03-14-2008, 09:43 PM

A fine opening score of five under par 67 saw Mikko Ilonen of Finland take the early lead at the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship.

Ilonen’s bogey free opening score saw him forge ahead of Korean Hwang Inn-Choon, Japan’s Shingo Katayama, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh at the Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju in Korea, while Open Champion Padraig Harrington carded a first round of one under par 71.

Ilonen is hoping to recapture the form that saw him win twice on The European Tour International Schedule this year.
“I got off to a quick start, birdie on the first and good opportunity on the second and made one on the third again, so I was quickly three under,” said Ilonen.

“Then, probably the second toughest hole on the front nine I made a bogey, into the wind, a long hole, the par four. All in all I played solid on the back nine, as well.

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**truebluefan** · 03-14-2008, 09:44 PM

Australian Tony Carolan and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen lead a jam-packed Ballantine’s Championship first round leaderboard crammed with quality as The European Tour’s first visit to Korea got off to a flying start.

Carolan and Ilonen’s five under par 67s were good enough to separate them from the other 60 players who managed to break par at the Pinx Golf Club, among them the rising American-Korean star Anthony Kim on four under, American Ryder Cup player Chris DiMarco on two under, World Number Five K.J Choi as well as Open Champion Padraig Harrington on one under.

Jeev Milkha Singh, the 2006 Volvo Masters champion, joined Kim, as well as the Irish pair of Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley to bring a truly international flavour to the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship leaderboard.

Ilonen’s bogey free opening score saw him forge into a clubhouse lead that was only tied by Carolan with the very last putt of the day, the Australian signing his scorecard as darkness descended upon the stunning island of Jeju.

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**truebluefan** · 03-14-2008, 09:45 PM

Kim Hyung-tae and Paul McGinley share the clubhouse lead of nine under par at the halfway stage of the second round of the Ballantine’s Championship.

After a morning suspension to the second round of two hours and 15 minutes due to gusting winds of up to 45 miles per hour buffeting the Pinx Golf Club, Kim and McGinley carded respective second round scores of 66 and 67 to lead the early finishers.

American-Korean Anthony Kim is just one off the clubhouse lead after a second consecutive 68 lifted him to eight under par, while his playing partners for the first two rounds, home favourite K.J Choi and the American, Chris DiMarco, posted rounds of 69 and 68 to move up to four anad six under respectively.

**truebluefan** · 03-14-2008, 09:46 PM

Not even the rapidly setting sun on the beautiful Jeju Island could stop Graeme McDowell’s charge to the summit of the Ballantine’s Championship leaderboard.

The Northern Irishman posted a brilliant second round 64 to move into a two stroke lead over Sweden’s Johan Edfors and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh at the halfway stage.

As the two and a quarter hour morning delay (due to high winds at the Pinx Golf Club) took its toll on the second round field, McDowell, along with Edfors, Singh and Padraig Harrington ignored the fading light to bring a shining finish to the second days play at this, The European Tour’s first tournament in Korea.

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**truebluefan** · 03-15-2008, 09:27 PM

EJU, South Korea, March 14 (Reuters) - American Chris DiMarco credits his improved form to some cheeky advice from his wife, who told him to stick out his backside more.

DiMarco showed the value of having a good woman behind you after firing a 68 to finish the second round of the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea at six under on Friday.

"My wife said 'You used to stick your butt out like you're wearing a dress'," smiled the three-times major runner-up, whose spouse Amy is caddying for him on the resort island of Jeju.

"It's amazing the simplicity of it. Sure enough, that just kind of kicked everything right into gear and I have hit so many solid shots all week.

"I just kind of stuck my butt out a little bit, to get my back straighter and my hips square... and I've been swinging nice and smooth.

"I know she likes looking at my butt but when she notices it in my golf swing, then it's something good."

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**truebluefan** · 03-15-2008, 09:28 PM

Jeev Milkha Singh of India shot a 64 on Saturday to grab a share of the lead with Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland after the third round of the Ballantine's Championship.

McDowell started the day leading by two shots clear, but a double bogey on the 18th gave him a 6-under 66 and a total of 18-under 198, tied with Singh and four shots ahead of the rest of the field.

Singh had nine birdies against a single bogey.

Paul McGinley of Ireland shot a 5-under 67 and was in third place. Johan Edfors of Sweden was another shot back in fourth after a 69.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington carded a 4-under 68, to lag seven shots behind the lead.

Tournament and local favorite K.J. Choi shot a 3-under 69 and was 17th at Pinx Golf Club, site of the $2.9 million event, jointly sanctioned by the European, Asian and Korean tours.

"I still haven't adapted well to the speed of the greens and I made many mistakes today," said Choi, ranked No. 5 in the world. "If the weather is fine tomorrow, I will do my best to reduce the gap at the top."

**truebluefan** · 03-17-2008, 12:21 AM

England's Simon Griffiths defied the elements to open with successive birdies after a delayed start to take a share of the lead on six-under-par through four holes of the second round at the Ballantine's Championship today.

Griffiths opened with a birdie three on the par-four first before a two on the par-three third saw the 34-year-old join joint overnight leader Tony Carolan at the top of the leaderboard.

Australian Carolan opened with a birdie four on the 10th, his first, and was also six under through four holes, while England's Oliver Fisher carded three birdies in his opening 10 holes to move to five under.

Ireland's Paul McGinley was also on five under, after one birdie and nine pars through 10 holes, alongside Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and joint overnight leader Mikko Ilonen.

Finn Ilonen, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and India's Jeev Milkha Singh, who both carded first round 68s, begin their second rounds this afternoon.

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**truebluefan** · 03-17-2008, 12:22 AM

Graeme McDowell moved a step closer to fulfilling a long-held ambition - a Ryder Cup place - with Sunday's play-off victory at the Ballantine's Championship.

The 28-year-old from Portrush, Northern Ireland, climbed to sixth place in the European Ryder Cup rankings with a 333,330 Euro win - defeating India's Jeev Milkha Singh courtesy of a 179-yard seven-iron approach which set up a birdie three at the third extra hole.

"I feel like I've arrived now as a three-time winner on the European Tour - this is the year for me," said McDowell, who raised a beaming smile when informed of his rise from 94th in the world to the top 60.

"I've said it in the past, at the K-Club I realised I should have been on the team - I was good enough to be on the team and I was disappointed not to be there.

"Ryder Cup was a massive goal for me and Europe is the place for me to be right now, trying to get on the team."

McDowell, who has moved to third in the order of merit, hopes victory in the inaugural European Tour event in South Korea can provide the momentum to earn a place in captain Nick Faldo's team for the Ryder Cup in Valhalla in September.

"I promised myself I was going to give myself every opportunity to be on Faldo's team at Valhalla - and I'm off to a flying start," he added.

"That's the ultimate goal this year - I've given myself every possible opportunity to do that now.

"There's a lot of golf to be played this summer, but it's good to have a head start.

"It feels pretty pleasant to be sitting here as a winner again. It has been too long. Now I feel ready to be a prolific winner - I feel I can win multiple times this year, no problem."

**truebluefan** · 03-17-2008, 12:23 AM

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea: Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the inaugural Ballantine's Championship on Sunday when he defeated India's Jeev Milkha Singh on the third playoff hole.

The pair started the day tied and both had 6-under 66s to finish at 24-under 264 before McDowell prevailed when Singh missed a birdie putt on the third playoff hole.

"It was unbelievable," McDowell said. "It's a major relief to get it over with. Jeev's a fantastic player, a great guy and I'm just glad I was able to hit one close to the flag at the last there, that was sweet."

The win gave McDowell his first European Tour victory since 2004 and the third of his career. The $2.9 million tournament at the Pinx Golf Club was sanctioned by the European, Asian and Korean Tours.

Irishman Paul McGinley had an eagle and five birdies in a 3-under 69 final round to finish third, two shots ahead of Japan's Shingo Katayama.

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