Gordon Yates (71) makes good start

to Asia Pacific Amateur Open

Gordon Yates made a good start to the 72-hole Mission Hills Asia Pacific Amateur Open championship at the same Chinese venue that hosts the World Cup.
Gordon had a one-under-par 71 to be one shot behind leader Shingo Ito (Japan).
The Hilton Park player birdied the first but bogeyed the short fifth on his way to the turn in level par.
He got some momentum going with birdies at the long 11th and par-4 12th and looked set to finish at two-under-par until dropping a shot at the par-14 18th.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) finished with a 76 to be joint 18th in the field of 88 players.
Ross wasn't doing too badly with a birdie at the long 11th and a bogey at the short fifth as he turned in level par 36.
Then things started to go wrong and the inward half cost him 40 shots.
Kellett bogeyed the long 11th and then ran up a triple-bogey 7 at the par-4 12th and also dropped another shot with a 5 at the 17th.
But he did birdie the 18th which both Yates and the leader bogeyed.
Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn), beaten British boys' championship finalist two years ago, did not have the enjoyment of a single bogey in his round of 78 over what is a difficult course.
Fraser had a double bogey 7 at the long sixth and bogeyed the seventh and ninth to be out in 40.
He bogeyed two long holes in an inward 38 - the 11th and the 16th.
LEADERBOARD
Par 72
70 Shingo Ito (Japan).
71 Gordon Yates (Scotland), Ferdinand Aunzo (Philippines).
72 Chi Hsien Hsieh (aipei), Ryan McCarthy (Australia), Wen Ting Wu (Taipei), Alex Christie (England).
Selected scores
76 Ross Kellett (Scotland) (jt 18th).
78 Fraser Fotheringham (Scotland) (jt 35th).
Field of 88 players.