Rattanon races into lead at Macao Open

Macau: Rattanon Wannasrichan’s nickname is “Fluke” but there was certainly no element of luck in his nine-under-par 61 on Thursday at the Macao Open.
The outstanding opening round gave him a two-stroke lead over Australian Sam Brazel, who returned a score of 63.
Filipino Miguel Tabuena, Taiwan’s Chang Wei-lun, and Liu Yung-hua, besides Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren, shot scores of 64 each at the Macau Golf & Country Club, while Taiwan’s Wang Wei-hsuan and Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul followed closely with 65s.
Rattanon has been playing this event for the last 10 years but hasn’t come close to shooting such a low round here before.
He started on the 10th, making four birdies on the back nine in-a-row from hole 13, and an eagle on 18, where he drained a 40-footer. Birdies on holes three, four and nine completed one of the finest rounds of his career.
“It’s not my lowest as I have shot 10 under on the Asian Development Tour but it’s amazing,” said the 29-year-old, who tied for fourth in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters at the weekend for his best result of the season.
“I was just hoping to shoot a couple of under today, didn’t expect to go so low. But I do like this course, there are a lot of chances to shoot birdies.”
Rattanon is trying to win for the second time on the Asian Tour, having won the 2017 Thailand Open. He came close to a second title in 2022 when he was beaten by Korea’s Tom Kim at The Singapore International following a sudden-death play-off.
Americans John Catlin, who won the International Series Macau at this same venue in March and is ranked first on the Asian Tour and International Series, and 2023 Open winner Brian Harman, are in a group of players tied for 11th following scores of 67s.
Defending champion Min Woo Lee has started slowly with a score of 68 while South African Jbe Kruger, winner of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, is in a group of players who shot 70.