The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 21 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

The leaderboard is tightly-packed with winners and nearly-men and Steve is excited by events to come in Hong Kong.

Why did it take until 5.58am yesterday, two minutes before the TV coverage's start time, for me to remember that Sky have a nasty habit of showing recorded play for the first half of their scheduled three hour long 'live' programme?

Heavy sigh, lo and behold, recorded play it was. I just don't get it. It says live in the paper, it says live on the programme planner, it says live everywhere you look. But it isn't.

Can you imagine if they did it on the football at 4.00pm on Sunday?

"I know we advertised live football to all and sundry but we're actually going to show you yesterday's recorded play instead!"

There'd be questions in parliament! And no-one would have gotten up in the middle of the night either!

Anyway, when they did eventually go live it was just in time to see my main pick Miguel Angel Jimenez miss a birdie putt on the 15th and show as much frustration as I had at around 6.02am. He was clearly out of sorts and made bogey at the next two holes to effectively relinquish his crown.

None of my outsiders had done anything either and it was left to Francesco Molinari, backed at [60.0], to restore some semblance of respectability to me initial picks. He ended the day on four under par, two shots off the lead.

The lead was jointly held by China's Liang Wen-chong and South African Richard Sterne.

I had vaguely considered the [130.0] plus on offer for Sterne before the off, for a proven winner that looked a big price. But for ten months or so his form has been poor and his body language even poorer. Indeed, he was so disenchanted with his game he'd even talked of retirement.

He's clearly taken to this track though, probably enjoying the grainy greens as they're much like those back home in South Africa and on five under par with three holes to play I couldn't resist the [20.0] that kept being put up; so he's in the portfolio too now.

I got up just before 7.00am this morning and my guys had finished for the day and were both one of the lead which was held by Oliver Wilson and another South African, Louis Oosthuizen, who'd shot a brilliant 62.

Sky's 'live' golf was again recorded play and I was able to see that both Molinari and Sterne had missed some very make-able putts but at least they hadn't bombed out completely. I'd certainly feared for Sterne.

Jeev Milkha Singh made quite a move, as had Monty and of course new leaders Wilson and Oosthuizen, it was a bunched leaderboard and the afternoon starters were closing in quickly too.

By the close of play there were four co-leaders on -8, with Thailand's Chawalit Plaphol and the almost forgotten starlet, Oliver Fisher, joining Wilson and Oosthuizen. With some other quality players emerging from the afternoon play to become contenders; Johan Edfors and Marcus Fraser closed to within one of the lead and the much touted Rory McIlroy finished the day a further shot back.

Looking at the state of play now, current jolly, Wilson has to be respected. After eight second place finishes on tour even he knows he's going to lose his cherry eventually and when interviewed after day one, oozing confidence, he said: "I think a lot of people know I'm going to win soon, and it might as well be this one."

McIlroy and Fisher have very similar profiles, with the former being the public's favourite and, despite being two shots back of the Englishman, McIlroy is the shorter of the pair in the betting. I can't quite work that out, they've both had a chance to win now and have both failed narrowly. They will both win and probably soon but if push came to shove I'd probably just favour Fisher on all known evidence to date if it became a straight fight between the two.

In fact they're both too short for me right now. I always favour winning experience when it comes to parting with my cash and think there's better value to be had.

This wouldn't be the first time Singh's gone in back-to-back if he were to win again this week and although Monty's not the rock solid finisher of old he has to be respected. He'd love one last hurrah and the chance to teach these young pups a lesson.

For now I'm quite happy with Molinari and Sterne though. The latter would have been a [5.0] shot from here a year ago and looked to be playing very well this morning.

I am tempted by Singh but I'll hold off for now and hope he doesn't play his first six or so holes in silly under par before the live coverage starts tomorrow morning at 6.00am.

Over in Japan my sole pick Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is right in the thick of things, just one off the lead so I'll just let that tick along for now.

I'll review both events as usual on Monday. I've a feeling the Hong Kong Open's going to be a cracker.

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