(Reuters) - South Korea's Kim Hyung-sung carded a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Thailand Open on Thursday.
Kim holed four birdies on the front nine and gained a further three shots after making the turn to stay ahead of young Thai Panuphol Pittayarat, who finished the day in second place after a round of 66.
Australian Joshua Younger was a further shot back in third in the $1 million tournament, jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour.
The 35-year-old Kim said his prior experience of playing in Thailand had helped to keep the errors out of his game in the searing heat in Pattaya.