THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHENZHEN, China — Canada’s Wes Heffernan and Graham DeLaet were tied for third at 8-under 64 after the first round of the World Cup of Golf on Thursday.
Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka combined for a 10-under 62, giving Germany a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Richard Green and Brendan Jones.
Spain and the United States joined Canada at two shots back while four others — Sweden, Ireland, Denmark and New Zealand — were only three back in the team event at the Mission Hills Golf Club in southern China.
Despite gusting winds and the hilly layout, scores were low playing the easier fourball (best-ball) format. Friday’s format is the tougher foursomes (alternate-shot) where scores will be higher.
Heffernan and DeLaet shot 33 on the front nine and 31 on the back nine.
“I struggled probably the first 12 holes and Graham kept us in there and made four birdies himself,” said Heffernan, a Calgary native. “It was nice making a bunch of birdies, and I birdied four of the last five. So it was kind of his start and my finish. It was good teamwork.”
Hefferenan said the windy conditions made the course challenging for him and DeLaet, a native of Weyburn, Sask.
“The winds get swirling around here, and I’m sure guys were talking, it’s tough to pick the right club a lot of times and in the best ball,” he said. “It’s not quite as big of a problem in alternate shot if it is as windy as it was today.”
Kaymer birdied the first three holes, Cejka added one at the fourth — and then Kaymer put Germany at six-under at No. 7, when he dropped a 75-foot eagle putt.
“That eagle putt was one of the longest putts I’ve ever made,” Kaymer said. “It was over a huge ridge.”
Added Cjeka: “That was a nice bonus.”
For Cejka, this tournament could be a season-ending perk.
He underwent neck surgery following the British Open to correct a pinched nerve, and this is his first serious competition since then. Cejka described his game as only about 80 per cent and expects to be in rehabilitation through January.
“The second half of the year was basically nothing for me. I was sitting on the couch.”
Defending champion Scotland — a team comprising Colin Montgomerie and Alastair Forsyth — shot a four-under 68, six strokes off the lead.
Once a prestigious event with winners including household names like Nicklaus, Palmer, Snead, Hogan and Woods, this tournament is trying to reinvent itself under sponsor Omega. Though prize money has been increased by US$500,000 to $5.5 million, it still has attracted only three of the world’s top-20 ranked players.
Two are with Sweden — No. 6 Robert Karlsson and No. 12 Henrik Stenson. The other is No. 20 Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain.
“Of course you want to play well,” Kaymer said. “But this is a team event and I think we should just enjoy this week. This is the last tournament for most of the players in the year.”
Like the Germans, the Americans got an early boost when Brandt Snedeker holed an eagle on No. 4 — a 138-yard nine-iron that found the cup. It followed partner Ben Curtis’ birdies on two of the first three holes.