Malaysian Open 2015: Daily Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More
Indian Anirban Lahiri picked up his maiden European Tour crown at the Malaysian Open, putting together a stunning weekend of golf to pip Bernd Wiesberger at the post—per European Tour:
The Austrian had been in scintillating form all week and held a two-shot lead heading into Sunday, but a two-over-par 74 final round saw his chances slip away.
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Lahiri, though, had no such trouble, as he added a four-under 68 to Saturday’s remarkable 62 to reign supreme. Here’s a look at the leaderboard from a drama-filled event in Kuala Lumpur:
| Position | Golfer | To Par | Sunday's Round |
| 1 | Anirban Lahiri | -16 | 68 |
| 2 | Bernd Wiesberger | -15 | 74 |
| T3 | Paul Waring | -13 | 73 |
| T3 | Alejandro Canizares | -13 | 74 |
| T5 | Gregory Bourdy | -11 | 69 |
| T5 | Richard Lee | -11 | 71 |
| T5 | Paul Peterson | -11 | 72 |
| T5 | Lee Westwood | -11 | 75 |
| 9 | Marc Warren | -10 | 68 |
| 10 | S. S. P. Chawrasia | -9 | 68 |
Day 4 Recap
Lahiri started the day in fifth and five shots back of Wiesberger at leaderboard’s summit, with a top-10 finish looking an achievement enough.
However, his plans quickly changed after making a lightning-fast start, carding birdies on four of the opening five holes to move well into contention.
Wiesberger also chalked up a pair of birdies on holes one and two to give himself a five-shot lead on the field, but three holes later, disaster struck.
The par-5 fifth played as one of the easier holes on the course over the week, but when the Austrian put an ugly, double-bogey seven on his card, the tournament was suddenly wide open—as Asian Tour noted:
It then became a shoot-out—he who holds his nerve best, wins.
Wiesberger, though, who has proved to be a shaky leader in several European Tour events, couldn’t recover, with bogies on 12 and 14 handing the advantage to Lahiri.
It still takes something special to accept invitations on Sundays in tournaments, but the Indian came up with the goods on the 17th.
A few blemishes on the card saw Lahiri slip back to three under for the day and tied with Wiesberger at 15 under, and when his approach into 17 came up agonisingly short, it looked for all the world as if we were heading for a play-off.
However, the Lahiri’s flat stick proved to be a miracle performer—as European Tour’s video shows:
Wiesberger, meanwhile, bogied 17, meaning that he was trailing by one shot standing on the 18th tee.
He played the hole well and left himself a 20-footer to join Lahiri at 16 under and set up a grandstand finish, but missed—handing the Indian the crown.
The 27-year-old has won five times on the Asian Tour in his career, but nothing will compare with this Malaysian Open triumph. European Tour’s video shows his victorious moment:
His breakthrough victory was nothing short of deserved, though, as Saturday’s brilliance combined with Sunday’s bottle is the exact recipe for success.
Speaking with European Tour after the round, Lahiri was understandably elated, but also in disbelief as to what he had just achieved:
"I don’t think it’s sunk in just yet. But I’m pretty sure when it hits home it’s going to be a really happy moment for me. I think I’ve got a bad habit of making it hard for myself, but I’m happy I got over the line, as ugly as it was towards the end. The Masters is definitely one of my targets. I don’t know how far I’ll move up, but I’m pretty confident now with this win I should have a pretty good chance.
"
Elsewhere, Lee Westwood had a day to forget, as his three-over 75 put him into a tie for fifth.
The Englishman started Sunday with a double bogey on the second hole and wasn’t able to recover as his challenge slipped away.
High scores were the order of the day, in fact, with just three of the top seven players moving into red numbers on Sunday.
Marc Warren continued his excellent form with a closing 68 to finish ninth, while the round of the day went to Aussie Nathan Holman, who carded a superb 66 to move himself up 27 places into a tie for 11th.
The day belonged to Lahiri, though, who will look to kick on at next week’s Thailand Classic before returning to his homeland for the Indian Open.
And if he resurrects his Malaysian Open form over the next fortnight, then he’ll undoubtedly be in with a chance of reaping more glory.
Day 3 Recap
Bernd Wiesberger shot a stunning round of 63 to move to 17-under par for the championship, surging to the top of the leaderboard at the Malaysia Open.
The Austrian’s round will see him paired with Alejandro Canizares on the final day of the tournament after the Spaniard backed up his superb round on Day 2 with a solid 68; he’s two shots back on 15-under.
Lee Westwood’s charge for glory faltered on Day 3 as the Englishman could only notch a three-under par round of 69. He’s level with compatriot Paul Waring—whose seven-under par round on Day 3 moved him into contention—and three behind the leading man.
Here’s a how the action played out on “moving day” and a look at which player is primed to take the title come Sunday evening.
| 1 | Bernd Wiesberger | -17 | 63 |
| 2 | Alejandro Canizares | -15 | 68 |
| T3 | Paul Waring | -14 | 65 |
| T3 | Lee Westwood | -14 | 69 |
| 5 | Anirban Lahiri | -12 | 62 |
| 6 | Paul Peterson | -11 | 64 |
| 7 | Richard Lee | -10 | 68 |
| T8 | Jake Higginbotham | -9 | 67 |
| T8 | Alvaro Quiros | -9 | 67 |
It was a day bristling with some thrilling scoring at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country club as a host of players looked to thrust themselves into contention for the title. Wiesberger was a little back from the leaders coming into Day 3, but the Austrian turned on the style to scythe up the standings.
The Austrian has showcased some patches of outstanding form on the tour so far this year and he produced a sparkling round to take the lead. Wiesberger birdied his opening five holes, his final three and a couple more in between to shoot nine-under for the day and as we can see here courtesy of the European Tour Twitter account, his approach play was immaculate:
Remarkably, the Austrian’s round wasn’t the low score of the day either. That accolade belonged to Anirban Lahiri, who shot one better:
He admitted on social media afterwards that he’s looking forward to being in the hunt for the title on Sunday:
The Indian star will go into the final day five shots behind Wiesberger, but between the two there are a clutch of players who will be vying for the title. Canizares is certainly one of those and although his round failed to catch fire, he’ll be delighted to be in the last pairing on the closing day.
Especially when things could have been worse for the Spaniard had it not been for some isolated moments of genius throughout the course of the day:
Playing alongside Westwood on Day 4 will be Waring. The Englishman was solid throughout the first half of the tournament but produced some moments of inspiration to keep himself in contention, the Day 1 ace being the most obvious. That capricious style was on show again here as his enthralling round contained two eagles, six birdies and three bogeys.
The biggest challenge for Wiesberger going into Day 4 could well be a mental one. Already this year the Austrian has been in contention for plenty of tournaments after some scintillating scoring, but has failed to show the requisite consistency needed to be sitting top of the pile come Sunday evening. With a two-shot buffer in hand, he has a superb chance here.
Westwood will be his most prominent challenger you would imagine. The reigning champion struggled for form on Day 3 but given the perennial panache that he’s showcased around this golf course in the main, expect him to make a much better fist of things with the title on the line.
Day 2 Recap
Westwood remains a joint-leader after the second round in Malaysia, but instead of being flanked by McDowell, is equal with Spanish star Alejandro Canizares as the weekend approaches.
The Englishman broke clear of McDowell on Friday, with both players suffering contrasting fates throughout Day 2. Tied first before play resumed, Westwood shot a five-under par round of 67 to underline his credentials for the tournament.
McDowell's one-over 73, which featured a double bogey on 12, leaves him struggling to maintain a place in the top 10. Canizares fired a seven-under 65 to join Westwood at the top.
Be sure to check out the updated rankings below (you can view the full leaderboard on the European Tour's website):
| T1 | Lee Westwood | -11 | 67 |
| T1 | Alejandro Canizares | -11 | 65 |
| 3 | Bernd Wiesberger | -8 | 66 |
| T4 | Paul Waring | -7 | 68 |
| T4 | Peter Lawrie | -7 | 66 |
| T6 | Richard Bland | -6 | 70 |
| T6 | Richard T. Lee | -6 | 69 |
| 8 | Graeme McDowell | -5 | 73 |
Westwood once again dropped only a single shot throughout the day. He faltered on five after posting his first birdie on the hole prior. After this hiccup, the competition favourite shot a quintet of further birdies to enjoy a clubhouse lead.
Canizares was among the late finishers, joining Westwood at the top after shooting the best score of the round. His faultless seven-under 65 was completed with a smart birdie to share the overall lead, noted by the European Tour's Twitter account:
Bernd Wiesberger started on 10 and overcame a bogey on 11 to post an impressive six-under 66. The Austrian catapulted himself up the standings and into third, but is three shots away from the current leaders.
He commented on his excellent performance, per the competition's feed:
Elsewhere, McDowell's one-over 73 leaves him with an almighty challenge across the weekend. His opening day six-under 66 was a distant memory as three bogeys fell during his second journey along the course.
A double bogey on 12 highlighted a player who was unable to reverse his fortunes after setting the tone early with a dropped shot on the first hole.
Elsewhere, Paul Waring's opening round hole-in-one on 15 was replicated twice on Friday. Gregory Bourdy and Jake Higginbottom aced the 197-yard challenge, although they took different routes:
Both Westwood and Canizares have shown the consistency to suggest a battle will ensue until the very last on Sunday. One dropped shot could make all the difference, especially with Wiesberger and the chasing pack gaining momentum.
It will be interesting to see whether McDowell can overcome his forgettable day to put himself back in the reckoning. The Northern Irishman is made of stronger stuff than he showed during the second round, but cannot afford to make any further mistakes if he's to challenge for the prize.
Day 1 Recap
Westwood picked up where he left off last year in Malaysia, shooting an enthralling six-under par round of 66 on the opening day at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. He’s joined at the top of the leaderboard by McDowell, who matched the Englishman’s impressive Day 1 exploits.
There are a host of classy players in pursuit of the Ryder Cup winning duo, though. Tommy Fleetwood could be one to watch after he showcased some wonderful golf in Malaysia; the Englishman shot a bogey-free round of 67 and is just one back on the illustrious leading pair.
Here’s how the leaderboard is shaping up after Day 1 and a look back at the best bits from Thursday’s action.
| T1. | Lee Westwood | -6 | 66 |
| T1. | Graeme McDowell | -6 | 66 |
| T3. | Tommy Fleetwood | -5 | 67 |
| T3. | Danny Chia | -5 | 67 |
| T3. | Sunghoon Kang | -5 | 67 |
| T6. | Alejandro Canizares | -4 | 68 |
| T6. | Anders Hansen | -4 | 68 |
| T6. | Prom Meesawat | -4 | 68 |
| T6. | Richard Bland | -4 | 68 |
Westwood will be very pleased with the start he’s made to his year, and the reigning champion got this tournament off to a blistering beginning, shooting four birdies in his opening nine holes.
Despite the breezy conditions in Malaysia, the Englishman looked in fine fettle throughout the day, with just one blemish on his card at the sixth hole when he hit a bogey.
Westwood admitted afterwards that he was delighted with his efforts on what was a blustery golf course, per EuropeanTour.com:
"I putted very nicely and started the ball on line well. I left a couple short in the middle when I was fooled by the grain, but overall I’m very happy.
It’s probably the toughest I’ve ever seen this golf course play.
"
He also revealed to the European Tour Twitter account that he has something of an unusual pre-round routine to get him focused:
McDowell’s round was very similar to Westwood’s as he too only dropped a shot at Hole 6. The Northern Irishman was hit-and-miss during 2014 and will be hoping to get back into contention for major titles again this season. On this evidence, the former U.S. Open champion is set for a much more prosperous 2015.
Indeed, the Ryder Cup star thinks that he’s reaping the benefits of some hard work put in over the winter, per EuropeanTour.com:
"I did a lot of work off the course over the winter improving some things physically and in my swing, and things seem to be clicking really well.
It’s early days, but I’m feeling relaxed and my attitude’s good. If I can continue that for the rest of the year then good things will happen.
"
Paul Waring is three shots back on the leaders, but he produced what was undoubtedly the moment of the day when he bagged himself an ace at the 15th hole:
There was some very disappointing news for a player who was in contention for the title here last year. That was Danny Willett, who won’t have the chance to better his fifth-place finish from 12 months ago as a back injury forced him to withdraw.
The Englishman explained on his Twitter account that he was feeling in pretty severe discomfort:
It bodes well for the three remaining days that both Westwood and McDowell are in excellent form. The latter is a player who thrives around this course and if he does steal a march on Day 2, he’ll be difficult to catch.
But all the supporters in attendance will be desperate to see the reigning champion and the Day 1 co-leader battle it out over the next three days. If they do, we could be set for a thrilling climax to this tournament come Sunday evening.
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