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Tournament Navigation 
| Asians brace for tough weekend mission in World Cuptext size    Morris/AVW/www.owc08.com Japan's team of Ryuji Imada and Toru Taniguchi is keeping Asian World Cup hopes alive. 
Nov. 28, 2008 SHENZHEN, China -- Teams Japan and Korea kept up the Asian challenge with battling second rounds at the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup on Friday and insisted it was not an impossible mission to catch the leader -- Spain. Japan, represented by Ryuji Imada and Toru Taniguchi, carded a four-under-par 68 in the foursomes for seventh place, seven shots off the lead, while Korean duo Bae Sang-moon and Kim Kyung-tae enjoyed a superb back nine 32 for a 70 to lie in ninth position at Mission Hills Golf Club.  Morris/AVW/www.owc08.com Korea's Bae Sang-moon and Kim Kyung-tae are in ninth place headed into the weekend.
With Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal shooting a stunning 63 to open up a four-shot lead from Germany and Australia with their two-day total of 17-under-par 127, the Asians know they must make up ground when the format resumes to fourball on Saturday. India's Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa battled to a 72 for a share of 10th place at 139 with the Philippines, where Angelo Que and Mars Pucay failed to capitalize on their fast start with three birdies in four holes and settled for a 72. Imada, who has won once on the PGA TOUR this season, thinks Japan can still narrow the lead with an outstanding day in Saturday's better ball format. He and Taniguchi had never played foursomes together previously but practiced the shots that they needed to hit at the driving range. "We actually did a little practice round yesterday on the driving range, so, you know, who is going to hit first, who is going to hit this shot and so on. So, we knew beforehand what we were going to do, what shots to hit and what club to hit off the tee. I think we were well prepared," said Imada. "Spain is playing really well, and they are going to be tough to beat. I think we have got to play really well tomorrow." Korea turned in 38 with two bogeys, one double and two birdies but stormed home with four more birdies on the card to stay in ninth place -- still a staggering 11 shots back, though. The big-hitting Bae, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, was delighted that they dug themselves out of a hole. The 22-year-old, who will head to PGA TOUR Qualifying School Finals next week, said: "The front nine was bad. I missed two short putts, but Kim got us back in with some good iron play on the back nine. We knew all teams would have it difficult in foursomes." Kim added: "After our front nine, I just told Bae not to worry as we had nine holes to go. Bae is a really good player and we recovered nicely. We feel more confident with the fourball tomorrow." Singh and Randhawa have their minds on the victims of the Mumbai attacks and hope to produce a solid weekend showing to raise some sporting cheers back home. "We feel bad what's happened out there. Obviously, we have been watching the news quite a bit," said Singh, who has captured the Asian Tour's Order of Merit title this year. Randhawa added: "I did feel for the people that for no rhyme or reason got injured. It does affect us a little bit. But what can you do? You're here to play and try to do the best you can." Que and Pucay got the Philippines to a flying start but took their foot off the gas as they dropped three bogeys over the last 10 holes. "It was disappointing as we had a really good start. But, looking back, we also made some good par saves coming down the stretch," said Que, who is the reigning Philippine Open champion. "Even par today is not bad in alternate shot." "I hit it close on the first hole and then had an eagle chance on the third," Pucay said. "I made a putt on the fourth. But on the ninth, Angelo hit it left into the hazard and then he missed a close putt on 10. Just a few bad shots that cost us." Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and Thongchai Jaidee struggled to a 73 and will enter the weekend in 18th place in the 28-nation team competition, while Chinese Taipei carded a 75 for equal 19th place. Host nation China, represented by Zhang Lian-wei and Liang Wen-chong, also endured a frustrating day in alternate-shot format, dropping a bogey and double bogey for a 75 to lie in 25th place. Zhang said: "This is the worst round that we've played as a team in the past six to seven years. I'm really disappointed," said Zhang. "We're going to go back to the range and find something in our games. In the last two days, we didn't have the fire on the golf course. There wasn't any spirit, and we need to find something to play better in the weekend. Hopefully we can play better so that our fans and the media will be in a better mood," said the veteran, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour.
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