'Fab four' storm to top of day one on TCL classic
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-18 09:30

Four players shared the lead after the first day of the US$1 million TCL Classic Thursday at the Yalong Bay Golf Course.

Two Swedes Frederik Andersson Hed and Johan Edfors, Englishman Paul Casey and Thai Chawalit Plaphol all shot eight-under-par 64 on a sunny and windy day with the temperature at 29 C.

British golfer Montgomerie practises driving prior to the US$1 million TCL Classic Thursday in Sanya, southern China's Hainan Province. [newsphoto]

European Ryder Cup star Casey, 27, starting on the 10th tee, reeled off four consecutive birdies from the 12th to 15th holes, with additional back-to-back birdies at the first and second holes and again at eight and nine.

That effort on this resort island in China's south was matched late in the day by Edfors, who survived a remarkable journey to Hainan to rocket up the leaderboard, and Andersson Hed, along with Plaphol.

A group of 10 players - Alejandro Quiroz (MEX), Gonzalo Fernandez (ESP), Paul McGinley (IRL), Paul Broadhurst (ENG), Choi Gwang-soo (KOR), Darren Griff (CAN), Corey Harris (USA), Steven O'Hara (SCO), Ariel Canete (ARG) and Ross Bain (SCO) - lurk just a shot back at an event jointly-sanctioned between the European and Asian Tours.

Another 10 players are bunched an additional stroke back, with Thomas Bjorn, Terry Pilkadaris, a last-start winner at Yalong Bay at the 2004 Sanya Open, Lin Keng-chi and Frankie Minoza amongst the chasers. In total, 35 players returned rounds of five-under or better on day of superb scoring.

Casey, despite his apparent fireworks, felt his round was solid more than anything else.

"I kept the ball in play nicely and made a couple of putts, but there was nothing special. I just played solid golf. The golf course is in such good condition, the greens are good and the rough is down, which all help a lot."

It was his affinity for the work of Yalong Bay course designer Robert Trent Jones Jr that Casey credited for his strong opening-day effort.

"I am a member of a Trent Jones Jr course in England (The Wisley Golf Club), so this is a lot like what I play every day of the week when I am not out on Tour.

"He (Trent Jones Jr) plays a few tricks with the eye and can be quite deceptive, with bunkers short of greens and that sort of thing to deceive you. But I like that and I know his style. Having only played one practice round that helped a lot."

Despite the stellar nature of his opening day, Casey predicted low scores to come.

"If you look at the rest of the scores, everybody is shooting low numbers. I just seem to be one better than everyone else right now, but by the end of the day that might not be the case."

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