![\"thailands](\"images\/golf\/thailands%20chinnarat%20phadungsil%20shot%20a%2061%20in%20the%20opening%20round%20of%20the%20avantha%20masters.jpg\")
Greater Noida, India, March 14: Thailand\u2019s Chinnarat Phadungsil set the stage alight when he opened his campaign at the \u20ac1.8 million (approximately US$2.3 million) Avantha Masters with a sensational 11-under-par 61 on Thursday.<\/p>\nGreater Noida, India, March 14: Thailand\u2019s Chinnarat Phadungsil set the stage alight when he opened his campaign at the \u20ac1.8 million (approximately US$2.3 million) Avantha Masters with a sensational 11-under-par 61 on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old was only one shot away from equalling the Asian Tour\u2019s low 18-hole score record as he amassed only 22 putts in his round to take a five-shot lead over five players bunched in second place at the Jaypee Greens Golf Course.\n<\/p>\n
They included Thailand\u2019s Chapchai Nirat and current Order of Merit leader Chawalit Plaphol, India\u2019s Abhijit Chadha, China\u2019s Liang Wen-chong and Sweden\u2019s Magnus A Carlsson who signed for matching 66s at the Indian showpiece which is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).<\/p>\n
Chinnarat became the youngest winner on the Asian Tour when he won his first title on home soil in 2005 at the age of 17 years and five days.<\/p>\n
Eight years later and armed with three titles on the region\u2019s premier Tour, the 25-year-old continues to create headlines with his performances on the golf course.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my best-ever round! My previous best was a nine-under par in China in 2007. So it\u2019s definitely a great feeling today,\u201d said Chinnarat<\/p>\n
Chinnarat marked his card with three birdies to reach the turn in 33. He then left all his rivals in his wake when he blitzed his outward-nine with an incredible 28.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the front nine I was hitting a lot of hook shots, so my putter really saved me. But on the back nine, I drove the ball better and my irons were also better, so that\u2019s the reason why I scored so well,\u201d said Chinnarat.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday my game was very good so I will keep going,\u201d added the Thai.<\/p>\n
Local hope Chadha brought the early cheers in the morning when he finished as the clubhouse leader then.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old rose to prominence after winning the PGTI Rookie of the Year Award last year and is excited about his prospects this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m feeling really good about this week. I was just raring to go and get on with it. I just want to go out and play. I like this golf course as it suits my game. Winning the title last year on the PGTI was a good feeling,\u201d said Chadha, who marked his flawless card with six birdies.<\/p>\n
Having only turned professional last year, Chadha was part of the four-member Indian team that won the silver medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.<\/p>\n
While he enjoys playing on the big stage, the Indian is not cowed by the presence of the big guns in the stellar field.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t feel the pressure of playing in the Avantha Masters for the first time. The experience of playing many big international events during my amateur days has really helped me,\u201d said Chadha.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an amateur I played a lot of events overseas as part of the Indian team. The atmosphere at these tournaments was similar to that at the Avantha Masters in terms of international participation and the crowds,\u201d said Chadha.<\/p>\n
Liang, who earned the distinction of being the first mainland Chinese to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2007, continued his love affair with India when he returned with a 66 to continue his push for his third Asian Tour victory.<\/p>\n
The Chinese last win on the Asian Tour was in India where he carded a 12-under-par 60 to set a new low 18-hole score in the opening round of the Indian Open in 2008.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good day and I\u2019m very pleased with how I\u2019ve played. The afternoon conditions where it was not so windy played to my advantage and I\u2019m glad I took full advantage of it,\u201d said Liang enjoyed a flawless round marked by six birdies.<\/p>\n
Scores after round 1 of the Avantha Masters being played at the par 72, 7347 Yards Jaypee Greens course (a- denotes amateur):<\/p>\n 61 – Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA).<\/p>\n 66 – Abhijit CHADHA (IND), Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA), Magnus A CARLSSON (SWE), Chapchai NIRAT (THA), Wen-chong LIANG (CHN).<\/p>\n 67 – Joonas GRANBERG (FIN), Jaakko MAKITALO (FIN), David DRYSDALE (SCO), Thomas AIKEN (RSA), Rikard KARLBERG (SWE), Scott HEND (AUS), Rashid KHAN (IND), Scott BARR (AUS).<\/p>\n 68 – David HOWELL (ENG), Peter WHITEFORD (SCO), Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP), Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA), S.S.P. CHOWRASIA (IND), Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND), Anirban LAHIRI (IND), Prom MEESAWAT (THA), Emilliano GRILLO (ARG), Robert COLES (ENG), Brett RUMFORD (AUS), Mardan MAMAT (SIN), Ashok KUMAR (IND), Maximilian KIEFFER (GER), BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR).<\/p>\n 70 – Thongchai JAIDEE (THA)<\/p>\n 76 – Colin Montgomerie (SCO).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 25-year-old was only one shot away from equalling the Asian Tour\u2019s low 18-hole score record as he amassed only 22 putts in his round to take a five-shot lead over five players bunched in second place at the Jaypee Greens Golf Course.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[2075,782,8451,6293],"class_list":["post-14109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-latest","tag-abhijit-chadha","tag-avantha-masters","tag-chinnnarat-phadungsil","tag-indian-sports-news-network"],"yoast_head":"\n
Leading first round scores<\/strong><\/p>\n
Selected scores<\/strong><\/p>\nGreater Noida, India, March 14: Thailand\u2019s Chinnarat Phadungsil set the stage alight when he opened his campaign at the \u20ac1.8 million (approximately US$2.3 million) Avantha Masters with a sensational 11-under-par 61 on Thursday.<\/p>\n