Boonchu on track for title hat-trick
Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit, the most successful player on the Omega Tour, opened the defence of his London Myanmar Open title with a superb five-under-par 67 over the tricky Bagan Golf Resort course yesterday.
The 41-year-old is in joint first place with American Robert Huxtable as he bids for a hat-trick of wins in Burma.
Boonchu is the only player to have successfully defended an Omega Tour title and has won a record four times.
Boonchu and Huxtable both carded seven birdies and two bogeys in the opening leg of the 1998 Omega Tour and head the field by two shots from Scotland's Simon Yates, American Greg Hanrahan and Carlos Espinosa of Mexico.
'I putted very well today and only missed three fairways from the tee, which is vital on this course,' said Boonchu, the all-time high money winner on the Omega Tour.
'Although I have been struggling with my putter over the last few months I had few problems today. I am very happy with my start - a 67 on this course is a very good score.' Huxtable, playing in his first international event of the year, hit three birdies and one bogey for an outward 34, and came home one better thanks to four birdies and one bogey.
'I knew the conditions this week were going to be dry and sandy so I have been practising on this type of surface back home,' said Huxtable.
'I was very disappointed with my form on the Omega Tour in 1997, so it's nice to get off to a good start. I am hungry for success and have decided this year to try and hit the best shot I can every time I address the ball - thankfully today it paid off.' In contrast, Hong Kong's Dominique Boulet had a nightmarish start to his 1998 campaign with a 13-over-par 85. Derek Fung, also representing Hong Kong, shot a 74 while China's Zhang Lianwei, who made the cut in last week's Dubai Desert Classic on the PGA European Tour, recorded a 71.
