Nara: Day one of the 38th Shinhan Donghae Open witnessed some remarkably low scoring yesterday with Canadian Richard T Lee taking the lead with a sensational nine-under-par 62, which is a course-record at the par-71 Koma Country Club in Nara near Osaka, while Thailand's Nitithorn Thippong returned a 63.
Thailand's Tirawat Kaewsiribandit was also in rampant form carding a 64, while Korean PGA Tour star Kim Si-Woo and his compatriot Kim Tae-Ho, Filipino Juvic Pagunsan, Japan's Yuki Furukawa and Americans Seungsu Han and Todd Baek fired 65s.
It's the first time the tournament, one of South Korea's most prestigious events, is being played in Japan, and it is being tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan Tours.
Lee, 31, won this event in 2017 for one of his two victories on the Asian Tour, and despite it being held in a different country he felt right at home from-the-get-go. Starting on the back nine he made four birdies and five on his second half.
He said: "Like the fairways here, you gotta hit fairways, the rough is up, and the greens are actually playing pretty fast, but I like fast greens. It was a bogey free round and I felt I took advantage of the par fives pretty well today."
The previous course record was held by Japan's Rikuya Hoshino who carded a 63 in the final round of 2019 Kansai Open, on the Japan Tour.
Nitithorn's growing reputation as a star of future was on display again yesterday. He is one of the only two players to have tasted victory twice this year: in the DGC Open and the International Series Singapore.
Like Lee he started on 10 and was bogey free and birdied five of the last seven holes on the back nine.
Defending champion Seo Yo-Seop came in with a 69 while current Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Kim Bi-O from South Korea came in with a 71.