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HONG KONG : Little-known Thai golfer Udorn Duangdecha hit a sensational eight-under par round of 62 to take the first-round lead at the Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
Udorn, who turned professional in 1995 and has earned less than 100,000 dollars in his entire career on the Asian Tour, leads by one shot from Robert-Jan Derksen, with a group of four players tied for third on six-under.
The 39-year-old Thai hit 10 birdies and two bogeys during his round as he eclipsed the strongest field ever assembled for the Fanling-based event.
Defending champion Lin Wen-tang, who won last year's title with a playoff victory over Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari, had a bogey-free round and is among those clustered together on six-under.
Lin is joined in third place on the leaderboard by Englishman David Dixon, Gregory Bourdy of France and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
McIlroy shot a solid round of 66 to sit four shots behind Udorn as he continues his battle with Lee Westwood in the Race to Dubai money chase.
The 20-year-old Ulsterman trails Westwood by 52,320 euros with just this event and the Dubai World Championship remaining in the European Tour season. Victory in Hong Kong would move him to the top of the standings.
Westwood, however, also hit a 66, birdying the last to make sure he keeps McIlroy in check after the first round of action.
Udorn kicked off his round late in the afternoon with a birdie at the 10th hole before giving the shot back two holes later.
After picking up another two strokes at his fourth and fifth holes -- the 13th and 14th at the Fanling layout -- he then went on a run of five straight birdies, beginning at his eighth hole.
Two more birdies at his 15th and 16th holes pushed Udorn to the top of the leaderboard and he was still there at the end of his round despite finishing with a bogey.
Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin scored the first hole-in-one of the event, acing the 12th hole -- the third of his round -- eventually finishing eight shots behind the first-round leader.
- AFP /ls
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