DUBAI: It was a day of close contests at the Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course in Dubai, UAE, on Thursday as Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee, Australia’s Billy Dowling and Vietnam’s Khanh Hung Le carded six-under 66 each to share the early lead at the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
The trio paced 19 rounds under par during the first round at the Majlis Course, the first grass course that opened in the Middle East and home to champions such as Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Oman's representatives Azzan Al Rumhy and Ahmed Al Wahaibi had a day to forget. Al Rumhy carded a disappointing 13 over par for 85 while Al Wahaibi was slightly better with 10 over for 82.
Laopakdee, entered the Championship as the highest-ranked player in the field in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, the 20-year-old birdied six of his first nine holes beginning on the par-4 tenth.
He then settled for an even-par 35 on his second nine to tie the lead. “My drives were good. My irons were good. I hit 17 greens. Putting was good. I made almost every putt inside 10 feet and just one silly three-putt on the card, bogey for me today but overall it was a good round,” said Laopakdee.
Dowling also started fast with six birdies across his first 11 holes before a dramatic bogey save at the par-5 third hole kept his round on track. “It was huge; I wouldn't say I was expecting to hole that putt,” said Dowling.
Le, a 17-year-old University of Illinois student from Vietnam tied the low front-nine score (32) of the day on Thursday. He becomes the first Vietnamese player in the Championship's 16-year history to hold a lead/co-lead after the conclusion of a round.
Sam Mullane (T-4) and Ahmad Skaik (T-8) led the hometown contingent of players from the United Arab Emirates. Last year’s runner-up Ziqin Zhou of China sits even par (T-20). A 36-hole cut will be made to the top 60 and ties after Friday’s second round.