Blyth & Giles share first day honours

Australians Adam Blyth and Pat Giles produced matching seven-under-par 65s to share the first round lead in the US$300,000 Taiwan Open on Thursday.

Blyth , 23, shot seven birdies on the card at Chung Kung Golf Club in the morning, a score matched later by Giles, whose round was highlighted by a 40-foot eagle putt. The leading duo are one stroke ahead of compatriot Brad Kennedy.

Chinese Taipei's search for a first winner since 1998 started strongly with Kao Bo-song and Chang Tse-peng, third in last year's event, leading the local challenge in joint fourth position alongside Myanmar Open winner Scott Strange on 67.

Kao, who was part of the team that won the 2002 Asian Games gold medal in Korea during his amateur days, shot six birdies against a lone bogey while Chang, a distant cousin to former tennis star Michael Chang, launched his campaign with seven birdies against two dropped shots.

Lu Wei-chih and Hsieh Tung-shu were a further stroke back, sharing seventh place with 2003 Taiwan Open champion, Jason Dawes of Australia.

The 28-year-old Giles, who regained his Asian Tour card by finishing right on the cut off mark at Qualifying School in January, was delighted with his round that included a monster eagle putt on the par five 12th hole.

"One eagle and five birdies, I can't complain," said Giles. "I played really good from tee to green and holed some 10 footers for birdies. The eagle was really nice as it was a long putt. It's probably the first time I'm in the lead on Tour so hopefully, it'll be good enough to last through the week."

The talented Blyth is enjoying his rookie year and is slowly making an impression, scoring a tied fifth finish at the Volkswagen Masters-China two weeks ago. With a swing that has some semblance to compatriot and world number seven Adam Scott, last week's Singapore Open, champion, Blyth has been tipped by many to sparkle in Asia .

Thailand 's Thaworn Wiratchant's campaign started on a sluggish note when he stumbled to a 73 which included a triple bogey on the par four ninth hole. Thaworn is currently second on the Order of Merit and needs to win a little over US$2,000 this week to overhaul top-ranked Thongchai Jaidee on the ranking.

The Taiwan Open is the 18th leg of this season's Asian Tour.

Leading first round scores

65 - Adam Blyth (AUS), Pat Giles (AUS)

66 - Brad Kennedy (AUS)

67 - Kao Bo-Song (TPE), Chang Tse-peng (TPE), Scott Strange (AUS)

68 - Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Jason Dawes (AUS), Hsieh Tung-shu (TPE)

69 - David Bransdon (AUS), Rick Gibson (CAN), Prom Meesawat (THA), Hong Chia-yuh (TPE), Edward Loar (USA), Yeh Chang-ting (TPE), Lin Chien-bing (TPE), Boonchu Ruangkit (THA), Lu Wen-hsyong (TPE), Yeh Yeou-tsai (TPE)

70 - Larry Austin (AUS), Chapchai Nirat (THA), Lu Wei-lan (TPE), Kurt Barnes (AUS), Matt Keegan (AUS), Terry Pilkadaris (AUS), Somkiat Srisanga (THA)

71 - Anthony Kang (USA), Hsu Mong-nan (TPE), Eiji Mizoguchi (JPN), Scott Barr (AUS), Ted Oh (KOR), Tsai Chi-huang (TPE), Hsieh Chin-sheng (TPE), Mardan Mamat (SIN), Adam Groom (AUS), Ross Bain (SCO), Yu Chin-han (TPE), Su Ching-an (TPE), David Gleeson (AUS), Suk Jong-ryul (KOR), Lee Cho-chuan (TPE), Alistair Presnell (AUS), Andrew Buckle (AUS), Gerald Rosales (PHI), Simon Yates (SCO), Gaurav Ghei (IND), Robin Hodgetts (AUS)

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