KJ Choi holds a one-shot lead over Garry Houston after the opening round of the Hong Kong Open.
Choi one ahead of Houston after opening round at Hong Kong GC
A back nine birdie blitz from KJ Choi allowed the Korean to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
Choi, twice a winner on the US PGA Tour this year, carded an eight-under-par 62 at the Hong Kong Golf Club, with the round allowing him to take the early clubhouse lead.
A challenge eventually came from Garry Houston, with the Welshman just one shot behind after a 63 and, in turn, one ahead of Swedes Fredrik Andersson Hed and Robert Karlsson - the latter carding the only bogey-free round of the day.
Scotland's Barry Hume was also one shot behind with five holes remaining. However, a bogey at the par-four 16th pushed him into a tie with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Korea's Kang Wook-soon on five under.
Compared with what was to come, Choi's round started in relatively circumspect fashion - three successive birdies at the second, third and fourth being tarnished by a bogey at the ninth.
Surge
Two under at the turn, Choi then proceeded to surge up the leaderboard with six birdies in seven holes, starting at the tenth. A tricky eight-foot putt was then required at the last for par - and the outright lead - and duly sunk.
Meanwhile, starting on the back nine, Houston reached the turn in three-under-par after scoring back-to-back birdies at the par-three 12th and 529-yard par-five 13th, with another then coming at the par-four 18th.
The Wrexham-based player then achieved a similar feat to that performed by Choi, with a run of five birdies in six holes starting at the second - his 11th hole of the day - taking him into a tie for the lead on eight under.
However, needing a 35-foot uphill putt at his last to secure par, Houston instead left it six feet short to slip back to seven under.
Neverthless, having missed four straight cuts at the end of the European Tour season, Houston pronounced himself pleased with his form.
"Overall, I putted exceptionally well on the front nine, my back nine. I was a little disappointed to finish with a bogey," he said.
"My putting hasn't been the best, so it was nice to get a few in. On the whole my putting is very solid, but I just finished the 2007 season with five or six tournaments where I didn't putt my best - where normally it is my best tool. So it was nice that it worked well today - and I also hit the ball very well."
Flyer
In contrast to both Choi and Houston, Hume got off to a flyer, reaching the turn in a brilliant five-under-par 29 and then adding another birdie at the par-three 12th prior to his late bogey.
Elsewhere, Ireland's Gary Murphy lies in a group of 10 players who all shot 66s to move to four-under-par, with a group of 12 on three under including Scotland's Marc Warren and Gary Orr, plus Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell.
Former champion Simon Dyson lies one shot futher back on two under, alongside Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo and his ex-assistant Paul McGinley.
