Ajeetesh at T11, Detry enjoys opening 63 at Thailand Masters

Thomas Detry shot an opening round eight-under-par 63 to grab the first round lead. Ajeetesh Sandhu shoots 67 and Jyoti Randhawa 68 at the Thailand Masters.

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Ajeetesh Sandu trails in second place at Rd 3 of TAKE Classic

Dec 19, 2019: Belgium’s Thomas Detry took the early honours by opening with an eight-under-par 63 to grab the first round lead at the season-ending Thailand Masters on Thursday. India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu was trailing the lead by four shots.

Sandhu carded six birdies and two bogeys to score four-under-par 67 in the first round and lying at T11. Fellow Indian Jyoti Randhawa is another shot behind Ajeetesh and lying at T23. Randhawa played a brilliant round of golf with spotless front nine with two birdies and another two in the back nine with a lone bogey to score three-under-par 68.

Detry, who is enjoying his week away home where the harsh winter conditions are hitting, sprinted towards the turn with three birdies on holes 10, 13 and 16 in his starting back-nine 10.

The Belgian then continued his birdie blitz on holes one, three, six, seven and nine to return with a bogey-free 63 for a one-shot lead over Thailand’s Settee Prakongvech at the Pheonix Gold Golf and Country Club.

Prakongvech, who is currently in 93rd place on the Order of Merit, knows he needs a very good result to move inside the top-61 place and secure his card for next season.

It is the last chance saloon for the 25-year-old as he is determined to close the year with a grandstand finish in front of his friends and family.

American Berry Henson signed for a 65 to restore some much needed confidence after only securing one top-10 this year in Korea.

Henson mixed his card with seven birdies and one bogey to stay two shots back of Detry together with Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul in tied-third place.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, who is chasing his Asian Tour breakthrough this week, posted a 65, trailing Detry by three shots in a share of fifth place which also included Indonesia’s Rory Hie.

 

Asian Tour Release