Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Indian Veer Ahlawat shot sparkling nine-under-par 62s to take the first-round lead in the US$1million IRS Prima Malaysian Open today – both crediting the much-needed off-season downtime for their strong showings.
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Canadian Richard T. Lee fired a 63, while Malaysians Gavin Green and Khavish Varadan shot 64s at The Mines Resort and Golf Club, in the Asian Tour’s first event of the year.
“Really good start to the week and the year as well. A good long break seems to have done me some good. I got a lot of rest and played some golf,” said seven-time Asian Tour winner Jazz.
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“I went to Korea to work with new coaches, BFG Korea – that’s a golf school. It did me a lot of good. Head coach there is Si Woo Lee. I have just been working on my balance, getting my balance back. I was with them for three weeks.”
The 28-year-old is also determined to right the wrongs of the past few years when his game failed to fire far too often.
He added: “I just want to be playing well this year. I don’t want a repeat of last year or the year before. I just want to be teeing up and feeling confident. I want to be in contention, I don’t like fighting to make the cuts, and I don’t like being left behind, and not playing for anything. To be on the golf course is good, but I would rather be on the golf course playing well. That’s my goal.”
He made seven birdies today and putted from off the edge of the green on 11 for an eagle.
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Ahlawat, still looking for first Asian Tour win, dropped his only shot of the day on 18.
He said: “Really solid round, I drove the ball well and hit some really good second shots. Hitting them to seven, eight feet and holing them. Just dropped that shot on 18, where I got the wind direction wrong.”
He played his first full season on the Asian Tour in 2022, when he finished equal fifth in the Singapore Open – which remains his best result to date.
“My game has been feeling very good, just like my putting has been very good,” he said.
“I really worked on my body during the break. I tried to gain some yardage and I think I did gain a little bit but not much to be honest. My goal is to finally get a win this year and then have a lot of top 10s!”
As preferred lies were being played their 62s could not count as official course records, meaning American Tiger Woods’ 63 at the World Cup of Golf in 1999 is still the mark the beat.
Green, the Asian Tour number one in 2017, was bogey-free, with an eagle and five birdies.
“Not many big mistakes, I gave myself a lot of chances. I hit it good enough,” he said.
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“I missed a couple of putts but the main thing is it is consistent. It is something that I am looking for and it’s something that is on path that me and my coach are working on.
“Other than that, we gave ourselves a lot of looks. Hit a lot of greens and made a nice eagle on 17th.”
The week marks the 55th staging of Malaysia’s National Open.
The event is part of The Open Qualifying Series and will see the leading three players, not otherwise exempt, qualify for The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club July 18-21.
