O'Hern grabs the record

GOLF/Singapore Masters: Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern broke the course record at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club yesterday to lead the $900,000 Singapore Masters after the first round.

The 30-year-old fired an eight-under-par 64 to remove Frenchman Christophe Pottier from the top of the leaderboard after he had equalled the previous best of 65.

Spain's Carlos Rodiles had an opening day card of 66, while a dozen players were tied in fourth place, a further shot back on five under.

Nick Faldo, who has not played in Singapore since he captured the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1993, lies one stroke further adrift on four under.

"I struggled here and there with the swing after starting off good," said Faldo, who was three under par after four holes, but needed to birdie the last for his 68.

"Every time I tried to hit a fade I made a mess of it so I quickly stopped trying to do that, but I putted great and that saved my day really.

"That was a good score and I'll take that. I struggled at times so I need to find a bit more of a comfort zone with my swing."

But the day belonged to O'Hern, who surprised himself with the record.

"It's just unbelievable," he said. "I haven't been hitting the ball all that well lately. Even in practice yesterday I was awful. I was just going through the motions on the first two holes and then everything seemed to click."

On a hot, humid day when many players found the going tough, O'Hern excelled with nine birdies, dropping only one stroke when he found water on the 15th hole.

"The finish was especially satisfying. I birdied the final three holes (seventh, eighth and ninth) and each time I came within three or four feet of the pin," he added.

"That gave a great feeling. I also sank a monster 30-foot putt on the third."

Pottier was also satisfied with his performance.

"It was a little difficult on the greens, but I seemed to control the speed pretty well," he said.

"Things just kept falling. I had seven birdies today, but more satisfying was the fact that I did not drop a shot."

Not so satisfied was Welshman Ian Woosnam, who finished the opening round with a one-over-par 73 to lie in joint 93rd place.

Woosnam made two bogeys and a birdie in his round.

Like Faldo, Woosnam had not played in Singapore since winning the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1996, by defeating Andrew Coltart at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off at Tanah Merah, literally across the road from the Laguna National course.

"I'm not playing well at all," said the 43-year-old Welshman. "I struggled with my new set of irons, everything was off.

"The grips felt a little hard and I'll have to go and change the grips. I am rusty, but I'll change the grips and that may make it feel better."