KUCHING [Sarawak]: Taking advantage of an early start, Singapore’s Marc Ong topped a packed leaderboard after the opening round of the 113th Malaysian Amateur Open on Thursday.

The in-form 20-year-old, who won the Philippines Amateur Open last month, returned with a round of four-under 68 during the morning session to lead by a single stroke from Thailand’s Sangchai Kaewcharoen at Kelab Golf Sarawak.

Malaysia’s Muhd Afif Mohd Razif was amongst four other players a further shot adrift while another Singaporean Gregory Foo, was sole fourth with a 71.

South East Asian (SEA) Games-bound trio of Amir Nazrin Jailani, Daeng Abdul Rahman Abd Aziz and Galven Kendall Green were among a group of eight bunched on level-par.

Leading first round scores (Par-72) >
Malaysian unless stated
68 – Marc Ong (SIN)
69 – Sangchai Kaewcharoen (THA)
70 – Harrison Endycott (AUS), Justin Warren (AUS), Samarth Dwiverdi (IND), Muhd Afif Mohd Razif
71 – Gregory Foo (SIN)
72 – Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA), Scott Ready (AUS), Joshua Ho (SIN), Amir Nazrin Jailani, Daeng Abdul Rahman Abd Aziz, Galven Kendall Green, Rizchy S.P Putra (INA), Khavish Varman Varadan
73 – Low Khai Jei, Abdul Hadi Uda Thith (SIN), Bryan Teoh Wiyang, Fadhli Rahman Soetarso (INA), Tirto Tamardi (INA), Yong Xuan Yin (CHN), Chi Huang (TPE)
74 – Shinichi Mizuno (HKG), Jerome Ng (SIN), Zihao Chen (CHN), Kevin Caesario Akhbar (INA)
75 – Norazle Idris, Naraajie E. Ramadhanputra (INA), Heath Riches (AUS), Albright Chong, Thomas Tan (SIN), Jordon Mobijohn Leduin, Mohd Danial Faidz Jazmi
76 – Sazanur Iman Salenin, Leon Philip D’Souza (HKG), Sim Min Sub, Edgar Oh (SIN), Raymart Tolentino (PHI), Lee Ka Tung, Chan Tuck Soon, Lin Yuan-wei (TPE), Almay Tahyan Yagutah (INA)