Georgetown (PENANG): The unheralded Thai duo of Pravee Visalkit and Nakarintra Ratanakul both shot bogey-free 65s to share the first round lead in the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) ASEAN PGA Penang Championship on Wednesday.
Neither of them have hit the heights on the ASEAN PGA Tour this season but played some inspired golf at Penang Golf Club to take a two-shot lead over countrymen Somkiat Srisa-nga and Piya Swangarunporn.
Starting at the 10th, Pravee gave little indication of the fireworks to come with a solitary birdie in his outward nine at Penang Golf Club. That all changed after the turn with a sensational run of four birdies and an eagle in seven holes from the third (his 12th hole).
Nakarintra, who played college golf at the University of Purdue, has missed three cuts in four events on the ASEAN PGA Tour this season but he came good on Wednesday with seven birdies in an accomplished round.
The 26 year old, nicknamed “Boom”, was also first round leader at the PGM-ASEAN PGA Penang Classic last year before finishing joint sixth.
Thai wonder kid Phachara Khongwatmai, who made history last year when he become the youngest ever winner of a professional event at the Singha Hua Hin Open aged just 14, is three shots adrift of the leaders after a bogey-free 68.
Phachara, now competing as a professional, has largely held his own on the ASEAN PGA Tour since his amazing win and is 11th on the Road to Sabah Masters rankings.
Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung, the 2012 ASEAN PGA Tour number one, endured an up-and-down day with five birdies being cancelled out by five bogeys in his round of even-par 72.
Leading first round scores (Malaysian unless stated):
65 – Pravee Visalkit (THA), Nakarintra Ratanakul (THA)
67 – Somkiat Srisa-nga (THA), Piya Swangarunporn (THA)
68 – Wilson Choo (MAS), Ratchapol Jantavara (THA), Phachara Khongwatmai (THA), Jhonnel Ababa (PHI), Charles Hong (PHI), Attaphon Sriboonkaew (THA), Shahizul Ahmad
69 – Prin Sirisommai (THA), Idtiphat Silasuwan (THA), Shaifubari Muda, Mike Bibat (PHI), Pornsakorn Tipsanit (THA), Mardan Mamat (SIN), Mohd Iqbal Yusoff
70 – M. Sasidaran, Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA), Wittawat Sae-Ung (THA), Abel Tam, Varut Chomchalam (THA), Dino Abdillah, Supravee Phatam (THA)
