KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - FEBRUARY 09: Marc Warren of Scotland in action during Day One of the Maybank Championship Malaysia at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo by Stanley Chou/Getty Images
Niall Turner's enthusiasm about teeing it up in the Maybank Championship proved to be well-placed as he opened with a four-under-par 68 to share 11th place in Kuala Lumpur
The 33-year old from Muskerry, playing just his fourth event since recovering from a hip injury that kept him out of golf fo five months, made five birdies and a bogey and had just 24 putts (including seven single putts in a row from his third hole) at Saujana Golf and Country Club in the Malaysian capital.
"Everything was pretty solid, I hit the ball pretty well, and my short game was good anytime I missed a green," said Turner, who started his round with a birdie at the 10th.
"Three birdies around the turn were nice, and while the back nine played tough as the wind got up and the greens firmed up, I was happy to get it in at four under."
The key to the Muskerry man's round was a glorious six-iron to four feet at the 16th — the first of three birdies in a row.
"That really got the round going," said Turner, who picked up his first cheque of the Asian Tour season when he finished 15th in Bangladesh last week.
He dropped his only shot of the day at the fourth, where he found greenside sand, but got that back at the par-five eighth before parring the last to end the day five shots off the lead held by Scotland's Marc Warren.
The 35-year old, three-time European Tour winner, carded a flawless, nine-under par 63 to take a two-shot lead over 18-year old Thai Phachara Khongwatmai.
Masters Champion Danny Willett was three shots back in a six-way tie for third on a hot and breezy day in the $3m event.
The morning groups got the best of the conditions and Warren took full advantage with four birdies and an eagle helping him reach the turn in six under par 30.
Three birdies on the way home moved him two strokes clear as the 35-year-old chases his first European Tour win since 2014.
Greystones' Paul Dunne couldn't take full advantage of the early conditions and mixed two birdies with two bogeys for a level par 72 and a share of 68th place.
Marc Warren
“Obviously it was good today, it was a good tee time nice and early before the wind picks up. I got off to a really nice start, six under for the first nine holes. Once the wind picked up on the back nine it was just a case of staying solid and hitting the greens.
“It was a bit of a battle on the last hole there, the tee shot was plugged in the bunker but it was nice to make five.
“I didn’t actually hit a great tee shot on the eighth, I pulled it left, and I was actually on the ninth fairway. It was quite a long way up though so I managed to hit a five wood to about 15 feet and it was a nice bonus after that tee shot.
“More of the same tomorrow. My iron play was very good today, and recently I have been making a lot of birdies but a lot of mistakes as well. It was nice to get around without a bogey.”
Phachara Khongwatmai
“I’m very happy. I didn’t think I could shoot seven under. This course is a tough one. One or two under would have been good, and if I can make the cut, I’ll be happy.
“I didn’t think too much about making birdies today. I wasn’t confident of putting the ball, but they all went in.
“Singapore was a good week with a second place (also qualified for The Open). Every week, I want to make the cut, so I’m happy.”
Danny Willett
“It was good; it's always nice to get out early when you're in Malaysia. It was still roasting hot this morning, but the wind stays calm for the first hour or so and allows you to get some shots in there nice and close. The wind picked up a bit towards the end, and it plays a little trickier around here.
"When it's this hot, and the wind is swirling, if you can make it as stress-free as possible it's a little bit easier. You get frustrated out here, and it becomes a long old day, so I’m happy with the start.
"Every time you come here, it's not a week to get frustrated with anything if you can help it. Every single little bit of energy you've got needs to go into trying to hit the right shot, so you've got talk through things well and get a picture in your head.”
Arie Irawan
“I got off to a patient start, made the right decisions, and then the birdies came. Made five in a row and another one on four. I made a 16 or 18 footer on 15 and then hit it to three feet on 16, hit it to four and a half feet on 17 and made a nine-footer to the next.
“On the first, I made a five-footer. I was putting it good and putting the ball in the right position. That’s when the birdies started.
“I love this golf course. I’ve played here since my junior and amateur days. It’s one of my favourite courses to play. It’s great for the tournament to come back here. To make no bogeys here is great, if you can make a lot of birdies here, you will be in a good position.”
Scores:
63 M Warren (Sco),
65 P Khongwatmai (Tha),
66 An Irawan (Mas), P Uihlein (USA), D Willett (Eng), G Bhullar (Ind), M Siem (Ger), S Brazel (Aus),
67 L Jensen (Den), S Lee (Kor),
68 R Lee (Can), R Karlsson (Swe), G Green (Mas), D Lipsky (USA), Niall Turner (Irl), S Sharma (Ind), R Wattel (Fra), K Kim (Kor),
69 B Wiesberger (Aut), N Bertasio (Ita), L Wei-Chih (Tpe), G Havret (Fra), A Levy (Fra), L Bjerregaard (Den), R Paratore (Ita), C Shih-Chang (Tpe), T Chuayprakong (Tha), P Meesawat (Tha), S Rahman (Ban), A Lahiri (Ind),
70 J Morrison (Eng), M Mamat (Sin), M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), L Wenchong (Chn), T Sinnott (Aus), Y Song (Kor), V Dubuisson (Fra), K Baharin (Mas), N Fung (Mas), C Kumar (Ind), B Hebert (Fra), A Otaegui (Esp), F Zanotti (Par), P Pittayarat (Tha), A Atwal (Ind), R Fisher (Eng), M Fraser (Aus), R Cabrera Bello (Esp), B Leong (Mas), H Porteous (RSA), S Kapur (Ind), P Swangarunporn (Tha),
71 K Aphibarnrat (Tha), G Coetzee (RSA), H Otto (RSA), T Jaidee (Tha), P Marksaeng (Tha), M Tabuena (Phi), P Peterson (USA), M Tran (Vie), R Karlberg (Swe), M Kieffer (Ger), M Manassero (Ita), R Rock (Eng), C Schwartzel (RSA), L Haotong (Chn), J Singh (Ind),
72 S Chawrasia (Ind), G Stal (Fra), J Wang (Kor), A Dodt (Aus), C Pigem (Esp), D Koh (Sin), D Drysdale (Sco), A Da Silva (Bra), Paul Dunne (Irl), F Aguilar (Chi), C Paisley (Eng), G Gandranata (Ina), C Nirat (Tha), J Carlsson (Swe), N Holman (Aus), T Fleetwood (Eng), D Chia (Mas), J Colomo (Esp), D Brooks (Eng), R Khan (Ind), P Larrazábal (Esp),
73 J Walters (RSA), H Chien-Yao (Tpe), A Lascuna (Phi), J Lagergren (Swe), W Ashun (Chn), G Bourdy (Fra), M Korhonen (Fin), S Imahira (Jpn), J Campillo (Esp), P Saksansin (Tha), R Ramsay (Sco), T Aiken (RSA), A Kang (USA), L Westwood (Eng), J Randhawa (Ind), J Quesne (Fra), K Horne (RSA), J Veerman (USA), D Rahman (am) (Mas), C Luck (am) (Aus),
74 M Ilonen (Fin), D Boonma (Tha), P Tangkamolprasert (Tha), M Kawamura (Jpn), J Janewattananond (Tha), I Buranatanyarat (Tha), N Elvira (Esp), L Wen-Tang (Tpe), N Srithong (Tha), O Zetterwall (Swe), S Hend (Aus), S Vincent (Zim), C S (Ind), D Horsey (Eng),
75 R Gouveia (Por), R Gangjee (Ind), J Kameshiro (Jpn), A Ye Htet (Mmr), S Othman (Mas), S Takeyasu (Jpn), N Colsaerts (Bel), S Kooratanapisan (Tha), T Pilkadaris (Aus),
76 E Molinari (Ita), G Storm (Eng), C O'Toole (USA), M Southgate (Eng), S Norris (RSA), A Zahari (Mas), K Khor (Mas),
77 C Hinton (Eng), R Jacquelin (Fra), J Kruger (RSA), M Kumar (Ind), L Weber (Fra),
78 M Jamil (Mas), J Bayron (Phi), C Shinkwin (Eng), S M (Mas),
79 K Low (Mas), O Fisher (Eng),
80 A Que (Phi), N R (Mas),
81 S S (Mas), S Chien (USA),
82 R Wannasrichan (Tha),
** T Khrongpha (Tha), J Donaldson (Wal).
from News - Irish Golf Desk http://ift.tt/2kq8BeA
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