12 Nov 2021 | Professional golf |
Perry, Kyriacou contending
by PGA of Australia
By Tony Webeck
Dylan Perry has made a bright start to his quest for a breakthrough Japan Golf Tour title while Stephanie Kyriacou is up close with one round left to play of the Ladies European Tour event in Saudi Arabia.
It looked as though Min Woo Lee might make it a triumvirate of early Aussie front-runners at the European Tour’s AVIV Dubai Championship but dropped shots at two of his final three holes saw him post 5-under 67 on day one, level with fellow West Australian Jason Scrivener in a tie for seventh at the completion of their opening rounds.
Playing in his 10th event in the past 13 weeks, Perry’s best results in that time are top-20 finishes at the ANA Open (T13) and Tokai Classic (T16) and his career-best finish in Japan is a tie for third at the HEIWA PGM Championship.
A solid round of 3-under 67 on day one of the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters that needed just 26 putts has put the Queenslander in prime position to better that and perhaps secure his biggest victory as a professional.
Seeking a second victory of the season, Kyriacou went on a birdie barrage in the second round of the Aramco Team Series-Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to vault up the leaderboard.
Starting the second round four strokes off the lead, Kyriacou fired four straight birdies from her second hole of the day, making the turn in 5-under after starting day two from the 10th tee.
Less than two weeks out from her 21st birthday, Kyriacou moved to 6-under with another birdie at the par-4 second, handing it back with a dropped shot at the par-4 fifth.
Back-to-back birdies on her final two holes rounded out her score of 7-under 65 for a two-round total of 10-under, three back from Germany's Olivia Cowan.
Currently sixth in the Race to Dubai standings with just two events left to play, Lee made a slight stumble out of the games at the Greg Norman-designed Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, falling to 1-over with a bogey at the par-3 11th.
He got that back with a birdie at the very next hole before reeling off six birdies in the space of eight holes around the turn.
Returning to Europe after playing in the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School Finals, Scrivener also went backwards before going forward, a bogey at the 10th offset by four birdies on his opening nine and two more on the back to match Lee’s 67.
Needing to move up three places on the Order of Merit by week’s end to keep his card, Scott Hend made a bright start to be 2-under early in his opening round.
Join our newsletter
Get weekly updates on news, golf tips and access to partner promotions.