Carnoustie--Tiger Woods may have had to watch playing partner Francesco Molinari lift The Claret Jug after winning the British Open but all his rivals will have taken note of the American's return to form.

The 42-year-old American legend -- beset by personal problems and back issues for most of the last decade after once dominating the sport -- threatened a shock victory at Carnoustie when, halfway through his final round, he led while most of his rivals were shedding shots. 

Carmona, Cavite—The ICTSI Champion Tour kicks off its two-week swing here at Manila Southwoods with the crack international field, led by the fancied Thais and Taiwanese, putting premium on shot selection as they slug it out for top honours in wet condition in the $75,000 event starting today (Wednesday, July 18) here.

Carnoustie—Kevin Kisner of the United States leads the way after the first round of the British Open on Thursday, but Rory McIlroy is one of the big names who got their bid for the Claret Jug off to an encouraging start at Carnoustie.

Antipolo—Jhonnel Ababa produced the lone bogey-free 67 card in tough condition to force a four-way tie for the lead as Kim Joo Hyung fell with a thud on a disastrous windup in an eventful third round of the ICTSI Forest Hills Championship at the Nicklaus course here yesterday.

Carmona, Cavite—Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung slowed down with a 69 as she struggled with her putting form but kept her bogey-free run at the Legends course with a superb wedge game as she pulled away by four over Princess Superal and two others after two rounds of the ICTSI Champion Tour at the Manila Southwoods here yesterday.

Antipolo—Tony Lascuña hopes to end a long winless campaign with a victory at the ICTSI Forest Hills Championship, armed with a new putter and a confidence bolstered by his triumphs in what used to be a Philippine Golf Tour event the last two years at the Nicklaus course here.

But now serving as a leg of the PGT Asia, the $100,000 championship beginning today (Wednesday, July 11) could add to Lascuña’s string of heartbreaks with a slew of foreign aces and a bunch of local top guns all primed up for four days of battle at one of the country’s toughest courses.

Carmona, Cavite—Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung sparkled in cloudy skies and wet condition, outshining local ace Princess Superal with a solid seven-under 65 to wrest a two-stroke lead over Taiwanese amateur Hou Yu-Chiang at the start of the ICTSI Champion Tour at the Manila Southwoods here yesterday.

While majority of the starting 100-player field struggled on the soggy fairways of the Legends course that played longer than its 6543 yardage and its softened, unreceptive greens, Wirairungreung and Hou, who shot a 67, romped off with the day’s two bogey-free rounds as they seized the 1-2 posts in the $75,000 event sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

After scoring a maiden victory in record fashion on the Philippine Golf Tour at Pueblo de Oro, Korean Kim Joo Hyung goes for another first—a PGT Asia diadem in the $100,000 ICTSI Forest Hills Championship beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, July 11) in Antipolo.

While he said he feels good about nailing his first win and becoming the youngest winner on the local circuit, the 16-year-old shotmaker has opted to downplay his chances for another title crack against a tougher field on a tougher Forest Hills Golf and Country Club’s Nicklaus course.