Henrik Stenson took advantage of perfect early conditions to shoot a five-under-par 67 for a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Asian Open yesterday.
Best of the Irish is Peter Lawrie who shot a terrific three-under-par 69 to leave him handily placed two shots behind the leader. His compatriot, Damien McGrane, will also be happy with his level-par 72, a shot clear of David Higgins.
The 30-year-old Stenson struggled to a share of 20th in high winds and sand storms at the China Open in Beijing last week and found the balmy weather at the Tomson Pudong Golf Club much more to his liking.
Six birdies, a single bogey and a rescued par after his ball found water at the seventh left him a shot ahead of Frenchman Jean Van de Velde and Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, who shared second after 68s.
None of the players going out in the afternoon managed to match the early starters, although South Korea's Charlie Wi looked like presenting an Asian challenge at this co-sanctioned event before bogeys at the 15th and 16th knocked him back down.
Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who missed the cut at the US Masters two weeks ago, bogeyed his final hole after finding the water to drop into a share of fourth with six other players on three under.
"Disappointing at the last there," the eight times European order of merit winner said. "I was in a position to take the lead there and then I messed it up which is very disappointing."
Wi, Dane Thomas Bjorn, Australian Marcus Fraser, Frankie Minoza of the Phillipines, Lawrie, and France's Francois Delamontagne also shot 69s.
Stenson is trying to recapture the form that sent him racing up the world rankings and won him the Qatar Masters earlier this season.
"I had birdie chances on virtually every hole and knocked a few of them in," he said. "Hopefully we're moving in the right direction and I can keep it up tomorrow."
Van de Velde (39), a winner at the Madeira Open last month, had a bogey he described as "silly" at his penultimate hole but picked up a shot to close his round, a fine chip leaving him with a three-foot putt for a fifth birdie. "The conditions were ideal and I knew it was a morning to put it together if you could," the Frenchman said.
Gallacher said he had not played that well for his 68 and his round reflected his season to date. "I started off well and played the front nine pretty good and then I got a bit scrappy on the back nine," the Scot said.
Liang Wenchong gave the local fans something to cheer about after a miserable tournament for the Chinese in Beijing last week, shooting a round of two-under-par 70.
