By IANS
Shenzhen (China) : India’s 16-year-old Rashid Khan shot a two-under 70 on the opening day to take a share of the lead with three others in the first round of the 2007 Faldo Series Asia (FSA) Grand final at Mission Hills Golf Club here Wednesday.
Sharing the lead with Rashid were Thailand’s Krobteeranon Chawinroj, 21-year-old Chan Shih Chang from Chinese Taipei and Chan Tuck Soon of Malaysia. The foursome led three others, including Abhijit Chadha of India by one shot.
Rashid shot four birdies and two bogeys for his 70. He had two birdies on either side of the turn and his bogeys came on the fourth and sixth holes.
Chadha, also competing in under-16, had four birdies and three bogeys in his 71, which tied him at fifth.
S. Chikkrangappa, 16, shot a 73 and was tied 11th. Abhinav Lohan (78) was tied 27th, Rahul Bakshi, winner of the Indian leg of FSA series, shot a 79 and was tied 33rd. India’s sixth player in the field Trishul Chinapa, shot 10-over 82 and was 47th.
Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura, 15, is the leading girl on one-under-par in a three-way tie for second place. One shot behind her with two rounds to go is last year’s girls’ champion, 15-year-old Hsieh Yu Ling of Chinese Taipei.
Supported by Mission Hills, The R&A and UBS, and hosted by six-time Major winner Nick Faldo, a total of 64 golfers, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, are taking part in the 54-hole FSA Grand final. The field includes 59 players from 10 Asian countries and five winners from the Faldo Series grand final in Europe. Ten competitors are representing China.
The FSA champion 2007 will also get a place in the European grand final of the Faldo Series 2008 and valuable R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking points. In addition, the boy’s winner gets a start in the Asian Tour’s Volvo Masters 2008 the girl winner will get a berth in a flagship event on the 2008 Ladies European Tour.