Kuala Lumpur, May 24: National stablemates Gavin Kyle Green and Mohd Hisham Majid took full advantage of their familiarity with the Palm Course layout to share the first round lead at the 24th Kurnia-Saujana Amateur Championship held at Saujana Golf & Country Club.

Aussie Ryan Peake posted a 71 to lurk one stroke behind the leaders while Singaporean pair Jerome Ng and Gregory Foo were tied for third alongside Filipino Jobim Carlos on even-par.

The leaders carded 2-under-par 70 with Green posting four birdies against two bogeys while Hisyam mixed three birdies with a sole bogey on the long uphill par-four 14th.“I had a decent game today except that I didn’t make many putts after hitting 15 greens in regulation. I’ve no complaints though,” said Green, who is looking to reclaim the crown he last won in 2009.

Peake opened his campaign badly with a double bogey on the first and a bogey at the par-three fifth. He redeemed himself with a quick succession of birdies at holes 6, 7, 9 before adding a further birdie on the back nine for a 71. Fellow Aussie Daniel Bringolf, who won the Malaysian Amateur Open on Sunday, could only muster a 74 after a round of poor putts.

Ng made at the turn at 2-under 34 but suffered a triple bogey at the 15th when his second shot went into the pond before he three-putted for the only blemish on his scorecard.

Leading first round scores (Malaysian unless stated)
70 – Gavin Kyle Green, Mohd Hisham Majid
71 – Ryan Peake (Aus)72 – Jerome Ng (Sin), Gregory Foo (Sin), Jobim Carlos (Phi)
73 – Marc Ong, Loh Khai Jei
74 – Kenneth De Silva, Myo Win Aung (Myn), Daniel Bringolf (Aus)
75 – Lam Zhiqun (Sin), Allan Yap
76 – Ng Choo Teck, Jeremy Chan, Clyde Mondilla (Phi)
77 – Wijitha Bandara (Sri), Nathan Hauser, Alistair Guthrie, Thien Naing Soe (Myn), Yan Myo Aye (Myn), Lim Wei Jin