Tangkamolprasert secures two shot lead in Korea on Asian Tour

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert is famous for winning a record seven titles on the Asian Development Tour but today he was in seventh heaven on the Asian Tour after sensationally making seven birdies in a row from the first to help him take the lead in the $1.5 million International Series Korea.

Pavit, also a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, shot a sublime eight under par 63, with the preferred lies rule in play, at Lotte Skyhill Country Club Jeju to top the leaderboard ahead of Korean Eric Chun, in with a 65.

Dubai-based Shiv Kapur is tied twelfth with a first round of three under 68 over the par 71 course, measuring 7,079 yards.

Three birdies

Shiv’s round, after starting on hole 10 consisted of three birdies in his first six holes, to go out of the blocks quickly and turn in 33.

A birdie three on hole one, Shiv’s tenth, took Shiv to four under, but a solitary bogey on his next hole and a run of seven pars to follow saw him home in level par 35 and he handed in a creditable scorecard of 68.

After his round Shiv told Gulf News, “I put a new putter in the bag this week, so I was a little bit better on the greens. The grounds staff did a great job in making the golf course playable after all the recent rain. Conditions were soft, so it was good for scoring and a premium for hitting fairways. All in all I was happy with both my play and my score and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s second round.”

Back nine

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, South Africans Justin Harding and Ian Snyman, and Australia’s Brett Rumford all came in with 66s.

Jazz, coached by Peter Cowen, with support from Dubai based Stephen Deane at the Peter Cowen Academy at Jumeirah Golf Estates, who won four out of his six Asian Tour titles, including the Korea Open, when he claimed the Tour’s Order of Merit list in 2019, started on the back nine and made birdies on two of his last three holes to start the event strongly.

The second round takes place tomorrow, Friday, with Shiv teeing off at 11.50 am off Tee One.