Dubai: Suttijet Kooratanapisan of Thailand shot an opening eight-under par 64 to take sole lead after the first round of the $75,000 Blue Canyon Open at Blue Canyon Golf Club, Phuket, Thailand, the final event on the MENA Tour’s 2020 Journey to Jordan Order of Merit.
This is the fourth and final 54-hole event in the ‘Beautiful Thailand Series’ that sees the comeback, post Covid, of the MENA Tour, co-sanctioned with the Asian Development Tour (ADT). The leader had a round of five birdies, two eagles and one bogey.
UAE based English players; Luke Joy and Joshua Grenville-Wood both shot two under par rounds of 70 to lie in tied 22nd. Joy had an eventful round of six birdies, two bogeys and a double, whilst Grenville-Wood had three birdies and one bogey.
The top three in the MENA Tour’s Journey to Jordan Order of Merit Rankings; Tom Sloman (70), David Langley (70) and David Hague (69) are all handily placed with everything very much still up for grabs with all the benefits of MENA Tour final Rankings with 36 holes to play.
In second place overall is American Dodge Kemmer with a 65, who holds third place in the current Asian Development Tour Rankings.
The second round tees off on Thursday with the first group off at 6.50 am and the final group at 1.20 pm (local Thailand time).
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Leading Round 1 Scores
(Par 72, 7,250 yards)
S. Kooratanapisan (Thai) 64.
D. Kemmer (USA) 65.
V. Riu (Fr) 66.
S. Prakongvech (Thai) 66.
Vanchai Luangnitikul (Thai) 67.
P. San (Mas) 67.
