Salvador takes opening round lead in Taiwan

11 September 2014 12:31

Filipino veteran Elmer Salvador shot a six-under-par 66 to take the opening round lead at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) in Taipei on Thursday.

With seven birdies against one bogey, the 45-year-old sprung ahead of three-time Asian Tour winner Marcus Both of Australia, Taiwan's Lien Lu-sen and Thailand's Prom Meesawat.

"I haven't been hitting it well with my driver and I do not know why. My only bogey was on the 18 and that was because of a bad drive," said Salvador, who is seeking his first Asian Tour title after losing in two play-offs at the 2012 Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic and 2011 ISPS Handa Singapore Classic.

Filipino Angelo Que carded his first ever official hole-in-one.

"I jumped for joy when I saw the ball disappear! This is the third hole-in-one I've had in my career so far and also my first in a proper professional tournament," he said.

Que also shot two hole-in-ones during the practice round at the 2011 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters in Malaysia.

Defending champion Thaworn Wiratchant clocked a 70 at tournament, held at the Linkou International Golf Country Club.

Leading scores after round 1 of the Yeangder TPC (par 72):

66 - Elmer Salvador (PHI)

67 - Lien Lu-sen (TPE), Prom Meesawat (THA), Marcus Both (AUS)

68 - Angelo Que (PHI), Antonio Lascuna (PHI), Hsu Hao-sheng (TPE), Danny Chia (MAS)

69 - Gunn Charoenkul (THA), Guy Woodman (ENG)

70 - Rahil Gangjee (IND), Thaworn Wiratchant (THA), Lam Chih Bing (SIN), Cameron Smith (AUS), Chris Gaunt (AUS), Jake Higginbottom (AUS), Lin Wen-tang (TPE), Jack Munro (AUS), Tsai Kai-jen (am, TPE), Fan Chiang Hao-chuan (TPE)

Source: AFP