Hua Hin: Lionel Weber shares the lead at five-under 67 with Varanyu Rattanaphaibulkij and Zane Scotland after Tuesday’s opening round of the MahaSamutr Masters at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand.
The Frenchman reeled off seven birdies and two bogeys to join the Thai and the Englishman at the top of the leaderboard.
Lee Corfield overcame an early bogey on the first to card 68, which leaves him in a three-man group tied for fourth with fellow Englishman Jordan Garnish and Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai.
Elsewhere, 15-year-old Thai amateur Victoria Tip-Aucha, who is making history this week as the first woman to compete on the Mena Tour, finished six shots off the pace.
She made the turn at level par after birdeying the opening hole, but then got two double bogeys on 10 and 12 to drop back. Unruffled by the wobble, she picked up three shots on her last five holes to card a 73.
“I started off well, but got to the point where I was four-over. I think I did well to bring it back to one over, which was good,” said Tip-Aucha, who has already won five times on the Thai girl’s circuit this year.
Weber, who is a Banyan Club ambassador, said local knowledge helped: “I have played this course many times. It’s always a pleasure to play. I didn’t putt very well but still made some birdies, which was quite pleasing.”
Rattanaphaibulkij carded six birdies with a bogey, while Scotland, a record 10-time winner on tour, went bogey free on a day when 29 players, including 10 from Thailand, broke par.
India’s Rayhan Thomas leads the amateur division on two-under 70, one clear of Thai trio Runchanapong Youprayong, Worathon Zeng and 14-year-old Phichaksn Maichon, who recently won the 13-14-year-old’s division of the Junior World championships in the US.
