Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee rekindled his love affair with Saujana Golf and Country Club as he opened up a three stroke lead over the field with a blistering eight under par 64 on the first day of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open.
The defending champion made light work of the sweltering heat in Kuala Lumpur to establish a sizeable lead over a chasing pack which includes last week’s winner of the Holden New Zealand Open, Niclas Fasth. His five under par 67 was matched by fellow Swede Pelle Edberg along with Italian Emanuele Canonica and the Australian pair of Jarrod Moseley and Terry Pilkadaris.
The Ryder Cup trio of Denmark’s Thomas Björn, Miguel Angel Jiménez, of Spain, and Paul McGinley, of Ireland, were well placed among the group a further shot back after opening rounds of 68, four under par, in the event joint sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian Tour. But with a thunderstorm causing a two hour suspension to play, 45 players will resume their first rounds in the morning.
Twelve months ago Jaidee lifted the title to become the first Thai golfer to win on The European Tour International Schedule and the memories came flooding back with some audacious play over the Palm Course, colloquially named “The Cobra”.
The former paratrooper got off to a flying start with five birdies in his first six holes, setting the tone by hitting his approach at his first hole, the tenth, to just six inches. But it was at the fourth, his 13th, that he really made his intentions clear as he smashed a driver 330 yards to within six feet of the hole to set up an eagle two. He later described the shot as his “best of the year.”
A final birdie of the day, at the seventh, took him to eight under par and a score that would have equalled the course record but for the preferred lies in operation.
“Everything was perfect today,” said Jaidee. “I hit my driver well, irons well and putted nicely. I had some good feelings coming into this week.”
Jaidee has struggled to find the same form which helped him win the Asian Tour Order of Merit last year but after some hard work at home in Thailand, particularly on his short irons and putting, his game is moving back in the right direction.
Another player who looks to have turned a corner is Moseley. In October Moseley lost his European Tour card by a mere €13 before regrouping and regaining his playing privileges through the European Tour Qualifying School. Over the winter he went back to his former state coach, Ross Metherell, in Perth and the work they have been doing is starting to pay dividends as he followed his seventh place finish last week in New Zealand with a strong start in Malaysia.
“I worked with Ross when I was coming up as an amateur and decided to go and see him. He had a look at my swing and said it wasn’t pretty,” said Moseley, who burst onto the scene when he won the Heineken Classic in 1999, just 18 months after turning professional. Prior to that his amateur achievements include victory in the 1996 Malaysian Amateur Open Championship.
“Ross tightened up the swing and got me hitting it a little higher and now I just have the one shot, a soft fade, and it feels good. I am putting beautifully as well and holed some good putts today.”
The result was a round of seven birdies and just two dropped shots, both on par threes on the front nine where he missed the green, and he finished in some style, his approach to the ninth, his last hole, pitching in the hole and finishing two feet away.
Fasth, a member of the victorious 2002 European Ryder Cup Team, is riding the crest of a wave as he followed his victory at Gulf Harbour, Auckland, with a five under par 67 although he admitted he struggled with his game but scored well.
“Last week I played possibly the best golf that I have ever played and to win it in that fashion, I was very proud,” said the 32 year old. “But the reality awaits. This is a new week. You’re only a winner for a day or two.
“But coming off a really good week, it’s got to be an advantage. You see the ball going in and it becomes easier to hole a shot. You expect to hit a good shot and that’s half the battle in this game.”
His score was matched by compatriot Pelle Edberg, another graduate from last year’s European Tour Qualifying School, Canonica, who didn’t drop a shot in his 67 and Pilkadaris, the best of the afternoon starters who managed to finish their rounds.
McGinley, making his first appearance on The European Tour since undergoing an operation on his left knee last November, carded an impressive 68 to be “pleasantly surprised” after his enforced break.
Jiménez, a team-mate of McGinley’s from the record breaking 2004 European Ryder Cup Team, was somewhat overshadowed by his playing partner Jaidee but after also taking a two month winter break, was pleased to have negotiated the testing Palm layout without any mistakes.
Björn, one of Bernhard Langer’s assistant captains at Oakland Hills, birdied the last two holes as dusk fell over the course.
The third member of Europe’s 2004 Ryder Cup Team in action in Malaysia is Padraig Harrington but the Irishman lost all momentum with the storm delay. Having got himself into contention at four under par through 13 holes before the klaxon sounded, Harrington returned to the course two hours later only to see all his good work undone with three dropped shots in his last four holes.
“Just a change of momentum,” said the Dubliner. “Bit unfortunate. I had a lot of chances earlier and didn’t really take them. All in all, not a good day. Missed the chances when I had them and paid the penalty over the last few holes.”
