Hsu sets early pace in Taiwan

Chinese Taipei's Hsu Mong-nan was back flirting with the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Thursday, four years after a heartbreaking affair.

The 31-year-old Hsu battled strong winds and rain to shoot a four-under-par 68 at Taiwan Golf and Country Club's Tamsui course to set the first round pace in the US$400,000 Asian Tour event.

Hsu leads by one stroke from Australian Marcus Both, who shot a bogey-free 69 while another local veteran, Lu Wen-teh, the only double winner at this event, fired a 70 for a share of third place with compatriot Lin Wen-tang and Venezuela 's Gilberto Morales.

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand , last week's Taiwan Open champion and the title holder here, began his defence with a 74, dropping four bogeys.

In 2001, Hsu jointly led into the final day at Tamsui, his home course but faded badly with a 76 for tied seventh place and admitted later that nerves got the better of him.

"I'm happy. I putted so much better today, taking 29 putts. Last week, I struggled with my feel on the greens," said Hsu, who is searching for his maiden Asian Tour title. "It was difficult to judge the wind out there, so I'm really pleased with my start."

Teeing off from the 10th, Hsu dropped a shot straight away by finding the greenside bunker and missing his three-foot par save attempt but he got back a shot with a four-foot birdie on 16. The local favourite got to red numbers by chipping in from off the green on 18 before going on to shoot three more birdies on his inward nine.

"This is my sixth appearance at the Mercuries Masters and the only time I've come close to winning was in 2001. Hopefully, I'll get another chance this weekend," said Hsu, who is looking to join his illustrious compatriots such as Hsieh Min-nan, Lin Keng-chi, Chen Tze-chung and Wang Ter-chang on the winner's list.

Swirling winds made life difficult for the field with only 20 players breaking par but Both, the 2003 Sanya Open champion, managed his game well to shoot three birdies on the 18th, eighth and ninth holes. "It was difficult to judge the wind, it was like a washing machine where we didn't know which direction it would blow.

"On two occasions, the wind picked up after I hit my approach shots and my ball sailed past the green. But I got out of trouble well," said Both, currently ninth on the Order of Merit.

Both knocked an eight iron to four feet for his opening birdie on 18 before draining putts of 20 feet and 10 feet on the eighth and ninth holes for his solid start. He was delighted to be back in the reckoning after missing last week's cut at the Taiwan Open.

"I didn't play all that bad last week, just a couple of poor shots at the wrong time. I was in China (last month) working with my coach and the changes are slowly taking shape," said Both.

The 42-year-old Lu, winner of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 1994 and 1996, shot six birdies and dropped four bogeys to trail the leader by two shots.

Chen Tze-ming, one of Chinese Taipei's golf legends with over 30 career wins, started strongly with a 71, defying his 52 years of age while Hsieh Min-nan, Asia's winning captain in the Visa Dynasty Cup, shot an even par 72 on his home course.

Fifteen players returned cards of 71 for sixth place and amongst those were Dynasty Cup members Angelo Que of the Philippines and Singaporean number one Mardan Mamat as well as India 's Harmeet Kahlon, former champion Gerry Norquist of the United States and Australian Scott Barr, who is sixth on the Order of Merit.

The 19th Mercuries Taiwan Masters is the 19th leg of this season's Asian Tour.

Leading first round scores

68 - Hsu Mong-nan (TPE)

69 - Marcus Both (AUS)

70 - Lu Wen-teh (TPE), Gilberto Morales (VEN), Lin Wen-tang (TPE)

71 - Su Chin-jung (TPE), Chung Chun-hsing (TPE), Chen Tze-ming (TPE), Scott Strange (AUS), Harmeet Kahlon (IND), Wang Ter-chang (TPE), Scott Barr (AUS), Mardan Mamat (SIN), Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Kao Bo-song (TPE), Chen Yuan-chi (TPE), Angelo Que (PHI), Olle Nordberg (SWE), Gerry Norquist (USA), Robin Hodgetts (AUS)

72 - Jochen Lupprian (GER), Hsieh Min-nan (TPE), Gary Rusnak (USA), Andrew Pitts (USA), Chapchai Nirat (THA), Boonchu Ruangkit (THA), Jason Knutzon (USA), Lee Sung-man (KOR)

73 - Pat Giles (AUS), Yeh Chang-ting (TPE), Ron Won (USA), Chen Chung-cheng (TPE), Hsieh Tung-shu (TPE), Chen Tsang-te (TPE), Chris Rodgers (ENG)

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