Cheonan: Korean-American Han Seung-Su took route 66 on the opening day of the Korea Open yesterday -- impressively taking the lead on five under at the notoriously challenging Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, south of Seoul.
South African Ian Snyman fired a 68, while Koreans Kim Min-Kyu, the defending champion, Hur In-Hoi, Ham Jeong-Woo and Park Sung-Joon plus India's Chikkarangappa S and Taiwan's Lee Chieh-po returned 69s.
Remarkably, Han was also joint first-round leader last year following a 68 before finishing in tie for 42nd after a disappointing Sunday score which was 10 shots worse than his opening day effort.
Six birdies and just one dropped shot helped him post a rare round in the mid-60s at Woo Jeong Hills -- a ball-strikers course with limited room for error where the winning total last year was just four under for four days.
"I didn't feel well this morning," said the 36-year-old, who warmed up for this week by tying for 12th in last week's Hana Bank Invitational -- a event jointly-sanction by the Japan Golf Tour and Korean PGA Tour.
"I think it led to a good result because I was able to empty my mind and play. I want to play hard until the end because it's a big tournament. Woo Jeong Hills is always difficult, the layout is difficult, as is the course set up. So, I think I have to play patiently from beginning to end."
This week's tournament is part of the British Open Qualifying Series and will see the leading two players make it through to the British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, 20-23 July.