TAIWAN MASTERS REPORT AND LEADING SCORES

MEDIA RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR

Taipei: Unheralded golfer Lien Chi-wei of Chinese Taipei shot a surprising six-under-par 66 in tough scoring conditions for the opening round lead at the US$600,000 Mercuries Taiwan Masters today.

Lien opened up a four-shot lead over Filipinos Angelo Que and Antonio Lascuna, Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea, Wang Shih-jui and current Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club.

Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang, a five-time Asian Tour winner, and Hsieh Chin-sheng, Indian star Anirban Lahiri, Australian Scott Hend, Kalle Samooja of Finland and Panuwat Muenlek of Thailand were among the 12 players who broke par with their efforts of 71.

Lien, who has been a professional golfer for 10 years with two local wins, rode on a hot putter as he made 26 putts including a 20-foot eagle putt on the par five sixth hole.

“My iron play was really good and I sank my putts. It was a really good day for me. I’ve been playing in this event for five years and this is my best score on this golf course,” said the soft spoken 37-year-old.

“This is a very difficult golf course and I’m really happy with my performance but I know it will only get tougher from here,” said Lien.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 72. Yardage 6,923.

66 LIEN Chi-wei (TPE).

70 HSIEH Chi-hsien (TPE), Antonio LASCUNA (PHI), BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR), Angelo QUE (PHI), WANG Shih-jui (TPE).

71 LIN Wen-tang (TPE), HSIEH Chin-sheng (TPE), Panuwat MUENLEK (THA), Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN), Anirban LAHIRI (IND), Scott HEND (AUS).

72 Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA), CHIANG Chen-chih (TPE),  SIDDIKUR (BAN), Danny CHIA (MAS), CHEN Hao-sen (TPE), Adam GROOM (AUS), David LIPSKY (USA), SUNG Mao-chang (TPE), LAM Chih Bing (SIN).

73 LIN Chie-hsiang (TPE), Chiragh KUMAR (IND), Peter KARMIS (RSA), Zaw MOE (MYN), Darren BECK (AUS), Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA), Prom MEESAWAT (THA), Guido VAN DER VALK (NED), Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA), LIN Keng-chi (TPE), Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA), CHEN Tze-chung (TPE), Ben FOX (USA), Sam CYR (USA), Adilson DA SILVA (BRA), Javi COLOMO (ESP), Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA), YEH Yeou-tsai (TPE), WANG Ter-chang (TPE), CHANG Yao-pin (TPE).

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