Golf: Fasth too flash

Niclas Fasth of Sweden leads the NZ Open field at 16 under going into the third round, but 12 players are within five shots. Picture / Greg Bowker

Three eagles gave Swede Niclas Fasth a two-shot cushion at the top of the leaderboard after another remarkable day of shooting at the New Zealand Open yesterday.

On a day when the Gulf Harbour course record of 63 - set by Scott Verplank (US) and Patrik Sjoland (Sweden) in 1998 - was equalled three times, 12 players are within five shots of the fast-moving Fasth.

After 116 players beat par on a benign opening day on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula yesterday, 99 got into the red numbers as some of the European Tour's best handed out a pounding.

Fasth is at 16 under and he was joined in the course record-equalling department by England's Miles Tunnicliff, who made the most of the excellent morning conditions, and Australian lefthander Richard Green.

Tunnicliff is alone in second after following his first-day 67 with 63, while Green bagged birdies on 17 and 18 to end the day with a broad smile.

But 32-year-old Fasth is the man to catch after an outstanding display as it began to spit in the latter part of the afternoon.

He eagled the sixth, 11th and 12th holes, then produced a terrific save for a par at the 14th which kept him on track. Birdies at 15 and 17 capped a scintillating performance.

"It wasn't spectacular, just pure good play and really good putting," Fasth said of his round. " ... It was almost flawless."

Fasth was second in the 2001 British Open behind David Duval, but his last win in Europe was the Madeira Island Open a year earlier.

His game was not flash last year and he spent six months reshaping it.

"I thought I played well from the start of this year. I've never been this strong before when it comes to the basics."

Tunnicliff, 34th on the European Tour Order of Merit last year, won the Diageo Open title at Gleneagles last year. Yesterday he equalled his career-best round.

"I played pretty solid all day," said the 36-year-old, who lives in Malaga.

"I haven't been playing that well. This is only my third event and I was a bit rusty.

"But on Thursday I was feeling a bit more comfortable and got the putter working today. That made a lot of difference."

As for Green, he still has plenty of work to do. He starts today tied for sixth, five shots behind Fasth.

He flew round the front nine in 29 and made sure he didn't lose his way coming home. He cut it fine at the last hole, sending his approach over the back of the green, then holing the chip.

"Twenty-nine any time is pretty special," the Victorian said. "It's an unreal feeling when you go that low.

"And it was nice to carry some good form through the back nine, because that is a lot tougher on this course."

England's Oliver Wilson is clear in third after a seven-under 65 yesterday morning.

"I'd be surprised if I wasn't leading by the end of today," said Wilson, 24, who turned pro 18 months ago.

Two groups later, Tunnicliff had given Wilson the bird, nudging him down a spot.

Australians Simon Nash and Jarrod Moseley share fourth at 12-under and if Fasth glances down the board he'll see names like Green, his fellow countryman Joakim Haeggman and Craig Parry not that far away.

Steve Alker made sure of a New Zealand presence on the first page of the leaderboard, tied for 13th at 10-under after a memorable 65.

He has two compatriots for company in the cut, lefthander Gareth Paddison and European Tour player Stephen Scahill, who both sneaked inside the line at four-under.

In total, 79 players made the cut.

Among those who didn't are world No 30 Nick O'Hern, who finished at three-under, New Zealand's Michael Campbell and David Smail, at one under, and American hotshot Ricky Barnes, at two-over. Australian Open tennis champion Scott Draper tumbled with a five-over 77 yesterday.