Choi Sang-ho opens with 66 at Maekyung Open

Korean veteran Choi Sang-ho rolled back the years when he fired a six-under-par 66 to grab a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Maekyung Open on Thursday.

The 50-year-old Choi was in his element at Nam Seoul Country Club, shooting nine birdies against three bogeys to lead another experienced compatriot Cho Chul-sang, who fired a 69 in the US$500,000 Asian Tour event.

A group of seven players, including reigning Thailand Open champion Richard Lee of New Zealand , 2003 Maekyung Open winner Chung Joon of Korea and Mexican Alejandro Quiroz, trail a further stroke back.

Thailand 's Thaworn Wiratchant, playing alongside the evergreen Choi, launched his bid to overhaul compatriot Thongchai Jaidee at the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit by opening with a 71. Thaworn needs to win a little over US$3,865 this week to knock Thongchai off his perch.

Choi's outstanding performance was undoubtedly the story of the day as he maintained the current run of good form amongst the Asian Tour's old guards. Two weeks ago, 42-year-old Wang Ter-chang of Chinese Taipei won the Macau Open while Thailand 's 49-year-old Boonchu Ruangkit challenged for the Philippine Open title last week before finishing sixth.

One of Korea's top players during his heyday, Choi, who has five titles on the domestic tour, turned in 32 with some sterling golf before battling for an inward 34 where he had two bogeys and four birdies to set the clubhouse target.

Cho, 46, made it a day to cherish for the veterans as he registered five birdies against two bogeys in the afternoon session to stay within striking range of Choi while Park Tae-won, Lee Jung-hoon, Kim Hyung-tae, Kang Ji-man ensured a strong presence of home players on the leaderboard with matching 70s.

Thaworn, winner of the Enjoy Jakarta Standard Chartered Indonesia Open in March, stumbled on the front nine with successive bogeys on the third and fourth holes but clawed his way back into red numbers with birdies on the 10th, 12th and 16th holes.

Australian Marcus Both, runner-up at the recent Macau Open, was also in the mix after a 71 while India 's Amandeep Johl, runner-up in this event two years ago, and Visa Dynasty Cup star Angelo Que of the Philippines opened with a 72.

Leading first round scores

66 - Choi Sang-ho (KOR)

69 - Cho Chul-sang (KOR)

70 - Park Tae-won (KOR), Alejandro Quiroz (MEX), Lee Jung-hoon (KOR), Kim Hyung-tae (KOR), Richard Lee (NZL), Kang Ji-Man (KOR), Chung Joon (KOR)

71 - Park Boo-won (KOR), Lee Moon-hyun (KOR), David Oh (USA), Thaworn Wiratchant (THA), Kim Kyung-tae [A] (KOR), Chris Rodgers (ENG), Eiji Mizoguchi (JPN), Marcus Both (AUS), Choi Gwang-Soo (KOR)

72 - Sung Si-woo (KOR), Andrew Pitts (USA), Park No-seok (KOR), Moon Ji-wook (KOR), Park Do-kyu (KOR), Kim Dae-sub (KOR), Nam Young-woo (KOR), Bae Sang-moon (KOR), Boonchu Ruangkit (THA), Choi Jin-ho (KOR), Amandeep Johl (IND), Olle Nordberg (SWE), Craig Warren (AUS), Jason Dawes (AUS), Angelo Que (PHI), Lee Dong-hwan [A] (KOR)

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