Kuala Lumpur, Nov 16: In the opening round of the Toyota Tour Championship at Saujana Golf & Country Club, Thailand’s Suttinon Panyo showcased an impressive performance, carding a five-under 67 to seize the lead by one stroke.
Following closely are six players tied at four-under, including Malaysian players Galven Green and Daeng Abdul Rahman, both winners of the last two events on the domestic Toyota Tour, each posting four-under 68s with ambitions of lower scores.
Benefiting from favorable weather conditions and accommodating greens, Suttinon, currently ranked ninth in Thailand, secured seven birdies with two bogeys. Eager to climb into the top 10 of the Asian Development Tour Order of Merit, where he is presently 35th, he expressed his appreciation for the course setup, particularly suited to his style of hitting fades off the tee.
Suttinon, who finished joint 10th in the recent Selangor Masters, expressed his intention to participate in the final ADT event, the Aramco Saudi Invitational, in two weeks if he emerges victorious at the Toyota Tour Championship.
In the event of not winning, he plans to engage in several events on his home tour before preparing for the Asian Tour’s first stage of qualifying school.
Galven Green, victorious in the Alphard Cup last month, expressed satisfaction with his bogey-free performance but acknowledged missed putting opportunities, while Daeng Abdul Rahman lamented a misstep on the final hole, preventing him from capitalizing on an otherwise solid game.
Further down the leaderboard in joint 8th position are Kemarol Baharin of Malaysia, Oscar Zetterwall of Sweden, and Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng of Thailand. Deyen Lawson, the current ADT Order of Merit leader, recorded a two-under 70, while Selangor Masters winner Ho Yu-Cheng finished with a 71, placing him in joint 19th.
The Toyota Tour Championship and Selangor Masters, co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour and Toyota Tour, are organized by Professional Golf Malaysia and delivered by the MSTGolf Group. Spectators at Saujana can enjoy a “mini fan zone” experience, featuring Puma’s latest golf shoes and chipping and putting competitions organized by TaylorMade on the practice green.
Admission to watch the Toyota Tour Championship is free, and spectators will also receive complimentary merchandise items.
Leading Scores after Round One:
- 67 Suttinon Panyo
- 68 Daeng Abdul Rahman, Galven Green, Gordon Brixi, Michele Ortolani, Khalin Joshi, Witchayapat Sinsrang
- 69 Kemarol Baharin, Oscar Zetterwall, Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng
- 70 Khor Kheng Hwai, Joe Heraty, Shinichi Mizuno, Sarun Sirithon, Naoki Sekito, Deyen Lawson, Pattaraphol Khanthacha, Aaron Wilkin
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