Placeholder canvas

Kim keeps cool under Thai sun to take Open lead

Date:

South Korea’s Kim Hyung-Sung took a one-shot first day lead at the Thailand Open in Pattaya on Thursday, with a flawless seven-under par 65 laying down a marker at the $1 million tournament.

Making light of the sweltering temperatures, Kim hit four birdies on the front nine and three more as he headed back to the clubhouse to gave himself a narrow one stroke lead over local boy, Panuphol Pittayarat.

Australian Joshua Younger sat one shot back overnight, after making a 67, and is nicely poised going into day two of the joint-sanctioned OneAsia and Japan Golf Tour Organisation event near the Thai resort city of Pattaya.

“I am happy to be leading the tournament,” 35-year-old Kim said according to a statement.

“The heat is unbelievable and I had to keep my focus. However, I am used to conditions in Thailand as I train here over the (Korean) winter… I am really comfortable playing here.”

Closest rival Panuphol, better known by his nickname ‘Coconut’, dropped a shot on the 18th to miss out on a share of the overnight lead.

Nonetheless he was pleased with his game after an inconsistent year.

“This is my best day of the year so far. I have been struggling with my putting and tee shots and my chipping a bit. I have been practicing hard and it has been paying off,” said the 22-year-old from Bangkok.

65 – Kim Hyung-Sung (KOR)

66 – Panuphol Pittayarat (THA)

67 – Joshua Younger (AUS)

68 – Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (THA), Lee Sang-Hee (KOR) , Lee Chang-Woo (KOR) , Kim Bi-O (KOR) , Yan-wei Liu (CHN)

69 – Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Chapchai Nirat (THA) , Danny Chia (MAS) , Yoshinobu Tsukada (JPN) , Prom Meesawat(THA) , Hidemasa Hoshino (JPN) , Moon Kyong-jun(KOR) , Ryan Dillon (USA) , Michael Wright (AUS) , David Mckenzie (AUS), Lee Kisang (KOR) , Wang Jeung-Hun (KOR) , Stephen Dartnall (AUS) , Zhang Xin-jun (CHN)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Rajinikanth’s Thalaivar 171 First-Look Poster Drops

In a series of surprising announcements, fans were first...

Orry Faces Backlash After Declining Handshake At Event

Internet sensation Orry, famed for his wild antics and...

From Deepfake Concerns To India’s AI Mission PM Modi Interacts With Bill Gates

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a...

NewsMobile Morning Brief

Actor Govinda Joins Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena Ahead Of...