MERCURIES TAIWAN MASTERS RELATED STORIES Mercuries Taiwan Masters home page Mercuries Taiwan Masters Preview Round 1: Local amateur Chen is surprise leader Round 2: Oh has Clubhouse lead as play suspended Round 2 final: Oh leads by four at halfway Round 3: Oh's even par keeps 1-shot lead Round 4: Lu claims his third Taiwan Masters Final Scores & Prize Money About the Tamsui course at Taiwan G&CC Five to watch this week 2006 flashback: Gaurav Ghei is Taiwan Master Strong local challenge for Mercuries Taiwan Masters UBS Asian Tour Order of Merit after the Midea China Classic ASIAN GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Ben Leong claims maiden victory PGA: Jeev and Wi tie for ninth Prom targets Thai win in Brunei Shin Ji-yai takes Women's British Open Asian Tour starts 2nd half on a high Norman to play 2009 Johnnie Walker Mission Hills to host AP Summit GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Paul Azinger names US wildcards Faldo chooses Casey and Poulter Havret gains wire to wire Gleneagles win Sluman clinches First Tee Open with closing 67 Fallout continues over LPGA "English" rule Poulter chooses high risk Ryder Cup strategy

Local amateur Chen is surprise leader

Local amateur Chen Ming-tsuan emerged as the surprise leader in the opening round at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters after firing a four-under-par 68 on Thursday.

Chen, 20, battled through the tough conditions at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club for a two-stroke advantage over compatriots Lu Wei-chih , who is ranked 69th on the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit, and Hsu Mong-nan together with South African Hendrik Buhrmann who shot matching 70s in the US$500,000 event.

Malaysia’s in-form Danny Chia, who recently won the inaugural tournament on the ASEAN Tour, enjoyed one of his best starts this season in joint fifth position after a 71 alongside local player Chen Jung-hsing, who is also the coach for Ming-tsuan.

Ted Oh of Korea, who finished third last year, shot a similar score also in tied fifth place together with Filipino Artemio Murakami, the Iskandar Johor Open winner and Englishman Chris Rodgers.

Ming-tsuan, with two amateur wins this year, tackled the tricky greens with solid putting as he was pleased to be setting the pace in his first ever Mercuries Taiwan Masters outing.

“This is a pleasant surprise for me to be taking the lead. I only played seven holes before today and hardly got the feel of the course this week. But I was really consistent on the greens and that was the key for me.

“I will not think about my position heading into the second round because if I can play like how I did today, then I know I’ll be in a good position,” said Ming-tsuan.

Ming-tsuan picked up the game at the age of 10 through his father who brought him out on course. Ming-tsuan, a student at the National College of Physical Education and Sports in Taipei, has an impressive amateur track record this year having won the World University Games in Bangkok in August and the Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship in July. He is also the second highest ranked amateur in Taipei.

Lu, the winner on this course in the 2005 edition, was pleased to be in joint second position as he believes that the narrow fairways and tricky greens played into his hands for a 70.

“This has been my home course for a long time and I’m quite used to the conditions. My putting was not consistent but I was driving it straight off the tee which led to a steady score today.

“This is one of my best starts this season after a rough season so far for me. I am not pleased with my overall game, especially in the first six months. I hope for a turnaround this week and after a good start, I aim to take is easy and have an enjoyable time into the second round,” said the 28-year-old Lu.

Oh, with four birdies against three bogeys, is enjoying his time playing on one of his favourite courses on the Asian Tour and with a steady overall game, he aims to challenge for the title this year.

“I like this course. I don’t know what but I can really have a solid round here. I adapt well to the playing conditions and I was steady throughout the day.

“I always have a good feeling on this course and my game just flows as reflected with my lone third finish last year but this year, I hope to improve on that position,” said Oh.

India’s S.S.P Chowrasia, Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and Prayad Marksaeng were all even-par for the day alongside defending champion Gaurav Ghei, who is ranked sixth on the UBS Order of Merit, in tied 10th place four strokes off the pace.

Leading first round scores (click here for full leaderboard):

68 - Chen Ming-tsuan [A] (TPE)

70 - Hendrik Buhrmann (RSA), Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Hsu Mong-nan (TPE)

71 - Chen Jung-hsing (TPE), Danny Chia (MAS), Ted Oh (KOR), Artemio Murakami (PHI), Chris Rodgers (ENG)

72 - Hsu Tien-lai (TPE), Gary Simpson (AUS), Brad Kennedy (AUS), Tony Carolan (AUS), Keith Horne (RSA), David Bransdon (AUS), Chapchai Nirat (THA), Gaurav Ghei (IND), Iain Steel (MAS), Lin Keng-chi (TPE), Prom Meesawat (THA), Lu Wen-teh (TPE), Simon Nash (AUS), Chiang Chen-chi [A] (TPE), Adam Groom (AUS), Adam Blyth (AUS), S.S.P. Chowrasia (IND), Prayad Marksaeng (THA), Lee Sung (KOR), Lin Chien-Bing (TPE)

73 - Chang Chin-kuo (TPE), Gary Rusnak (USA), Lin Wen-tang (TPE), Yeh Chang-ting (TPE), Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), Ben Leong (MAS), Adam Le Vesconte (AUS), Panuwat Muenlek (THA), Brad Iles (NZL), Juvic Pagunsan (PHI), Lin Wen-hong (TPE), Chen Chung-Cheng (TPE), Sung Mao-chang (TPE), Roy Moon (USA)

September 20, 2007