RATTANON RACES INTO LEAD AT SJM MACAO OPEN WITH SUPERB 61

Rattanon Wannasrichan’s nickname is “Fluke” but there was certainly no element of luck in his nine-under-par 61 today at the SJM Macao Open.

The outstanding opening round gave him a two-stroke lead over Australian Sam Brazel, who returned a 63 – who like the Thai leader eagled the par-five 18th.

Filipino Miguel Tabuena, Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun and Liu Yung-hua plus Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren, shot 64s, here at Macau Golf & Country Club, while Chinese-Taipei’s Wang Wei-hsuan and Gunn Charoenkul from Thailand are next best placed following 65s.

Rattanon has been playing this event for 10 years but hasn’t come close to shooting such a low round here before.

He started on 10, making four birdies on the back nine, all four in-a-row from hole 13, and an eagle on 18, where he drained a 40-footer. Birdies on three, four and nine completed one of the finest rounds of his career.

“It’s not my lowest as I have shot 10 under on the Asian Development Tour but it’s amazing,” said the 29-year-old, who tied for fourth in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters at the weekend for his best result of the season.

“I was just hoping to shoot a couple under today, didn’t expect to go so low. But I do like this course, there are a lot of chances to shoot birdies.”

He is trying to win for the second time on the Asian Tour, having won the 2017 Thailand Open. He came close to a second title in 2022 when he was beaten by Korean Tom Kim at The Singapore International following a sudden-death play-off.

“It’s a great start but there is a lot of golf still to be played,” he added.

Americans John Catlin, who won the International Series Macau at this same venue in March and is ranked first on the Asian Tour and International Series, and 2023 Open winner Brian Harman, are in a group of players tied for 11th following 67s.

Defending champion Min Woo Lee has started slowly with a 68 – last year he fired rounds of 62, 64, 65 and 63 – while South African Jbe Kruger, winner of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, is in a group of players who shot 70.

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin, runner-up here last year, has work to do after firing a 71.