Sports Digest, October 19, 2012
Richardson leads the way at HK Open
Ex-England golf international Edward Richardson seized control of the Hong Kong Open Amateur Championship in yesterday's third round. Richardson, 44, fired six birdies against a lone bogey for a 65 at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club to open up a five-shot lead. Richardson lies on a three-day total of 213 and is in pole position to earn an invitation to next month's UBS Hong Kong Open, the reward for this year's champion. Taiwan's Liu Yu-jui (218) is in second place, while local favourite Shinichi Mizuno has a share of third, a further two strokes back. Alex Jenkins
Tributes one year after Simoncelli's fatal crash
The MotoGP community yesterday remembered Marco Simoncelli and witnessed an emotional plaque installation at Malaysia's Sepang circuit for the Italian rider who died in a crash on the course last year. Some 500 people including nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi and title-hopeful Dani Pedrosa gathered at turn 11 to honour Simoncelli. It was at this corner where the flamboyant Simoncelli lost his life in an accident on the second lap of last year's race. Australian Casey Stoner, who won in Malaysia in 2007 and 2009, said the incident was "a lot more fresh on everyone's mind being the anniversary". Stoner said: "I think it is a good day to pay respect to him. Everyone is thinking about it again. Maybe even a little on edge." AFP
Boy against men as Zhang lags in Korea
Andy Zhang, the 14-year-old Chinese amateur golfer who in June became the youngest person to qualify for the US Open, struggled at his first professional tournament in Asia when he shot a seven-over-par 78 at the Kolon Korea Open yesterday. Zhang made the turn at seven over, but settled his nerves to finish the next nine level par. He is 10 shots behind leader Kang Kyung-nam of South Korea. "This is the event that Korean players want to win more than any other," Kang said. "Some great players have won this event, so it would be great to match them." Staff Reporter