'Mighty Thai' Thongchai takes lead
Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee stormed to a brilliant eight-under-par 64 to top the Carlsberg Malaysian Open leaderboard in a weather-disrupted first round yesterday.
The Asian Tour number one produced what he termed as 'perfect golf' at Saujana Golf and Country Club, shooting an eagle and six birdies to open up an early three-shot lead in the US$1.21 million championship, which is jointly sanctioned by the European Tour.
Australian Jarrod Moseley, Emanuele Canonica of Italy, Swede Pelle Edberg and last week's New Zealand Open champion Niclas Fasth of Sweden share second place on 67, while Prom Meesawat made it a day for the Thais with a 68.
Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, a five-time winner last year, Dane Thomas Bjorn and Irish Ryder Cup star Paul McGinley also enjoyed solid starts with four-under rounds.
Play was suspended for two hours when a lightning storm hit the vicinity and the delay affected world number eight Padraig Harrington of Ireland, the highest ranked player in the field.
He was four under through 13 holes when play was halted and dropped three shots upon the resumption for a 71.
A total of 45 players will return this morning to finish their opening rounds but Thongchai, whom Moseley labelled as the 'Mighty Thai', will have the luxury of a lie-in.
'I'm very happy,' said Thongchai, who became the first Thai winner on the European Tour last season. 'Everything was perfect. I hit my driver and irons well and putted nicely. I had a good feeling coming into this week.'
Thongchai played alongside Jimenez, ranked 14th in the world, in the last two rounds en route to his historic victory last year and had the pleasure of outscoring the Spaniard again yesterday.
Said the cigar-chomping Jimenez: 'Four under for me is nice. But I played with Jaidee and I lost to him which was not nice. He played really well and deserved it.'
