/ 10 December 1997

Ernie trails leaders by two

WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM:

SOUTH African golfing star and defending champion Ernie Els was two strokes behind leaders Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik at 69 after the first round of the $350 000 Johnnie Walker Super Tour in Cimanggis, Jakarta in Indonesia on Wednesday. Faldo and Parnevik shot 5-under-par 67s to share the first-round lead.

“I did not play too well today but made good birdies on the front nine. I enjoy the course and the greens rolled very nicely,” said Els. “But I did not make enough putts coming in, finishing with four birdies and a bogey.”

It was Faldo who tok an early lead, with 33 on the front nine of the Arnold Palmer-designed course. “I played a solid round and picked up some birdies on the par-5s by driving close to the greens. Fortunately I had no bogeys today,” said Faldo.

The eight golfers will play the second round of the tournament at the Panya Indra Golf and Country Club in Bangkok.