Teenager Jason Hak Shun-yat echoed his 2008 showing with a gritty, level-par 70 first round on an otherwise disappointing day for local representatives at Hong Kong Golf Club.
Twelve months ago, Hak, then only 14, carded consecutive opening rounds of 70 to become the youngest ever player to make the halfway cut at a European Tour event - beating the record set by Sergio Garcia 13 years earlier. A year on and the Tsim Sha Tsui-born Hak, who now resides in Florida, was once again left flying the flag for the SAR, as his compatriots failed to take advantage of soft conditions at Fanling.
'It was a pretty good round,' said Hak, who made two bogeys when conditions deteriorated towards the end of the day to finish in a share of 77th place. I had a chance to get up and down to par my final hole, but it didn't happen. I hit a lot of good shots - and some not so good shots - but overall I'm happy with the way I'm playing.'
With the top-65 players qualifying for the weekend action, Hak will likely need a sub-par round today if he is to make it two cuts out of two at the Hong Kong Open.
'I'm looking forward to the second round,' said Hak, who is ranked number 10 in the American Junior Golf Association standings and is playing on a sponsors' invitation this week. 'I'm going to try my best and I think I've got a chance [of making the cut]. Although this isn't my home course, it really feels like it. The support I've had from the galleries has been really great.'
Veteran Derek Fung, who cobbled together a one-over 71, was Hong Kong's next best-placed player, while 16-year-old Steven Lam Tsz-fung struggled on the greens and faded to a dispiriting - and birdie-less - 78.