Manila, Philippines: Heo Ji-baek made a rousing start to his men’s individual title defence at the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Senior Amateur Championships.
Triumphant in Vietnam last year, the 59-year-old Korean blazed his way around the Gary Player-designed course at Orchard Golf & Country Club in five-under-par 67.
It was an impressive display from Heo who raced out of the starting blocks with birdies at the second, third, fourth and seventh to reach the turn in four-under 32.
Another birdie followed at 10 before he dropped his only shot of the day at the par-three 11th. He made amends with a sixth birdie at the 13th before parring the final five holes.
Hong Kong, China’s Syren Johnstone had a share of top spot through 15 holes but ran up bogeys at 16 and 17 to sign for a 69 and second place.
Four other players also bettered par, the Australian duo of Graham Hourn and Greg Rhodes, Hong Kong, China’s Jay Won and Indian Sandeep Singh Sandhu, all of whom returned 70s.
Helped by the contributions of Hourn and Rhodes, Australia claimed the first-round lead in the team competition. With a 74 from Mark Allen, Australia posted a team total of 214 in the event in which the best three daily scores in each four-man team are counted. Ian Frost’s 79 was discarded.
Hourn, winner of this year’s Australian National Seniors Match Play and Queensland Senior Amateur, was left to rue a final-hole bogey, while Rhodes, who is bidding for a third individual title following successes in 2016 and 2022, had a typically steady round containing three birdies against a solitary bogey.
Hot on the heels of Australia, who are chasing a fourth successive team title, are the Korean quartet of Heo, Kim Dong-sub, Moon Ji-seon and Chung Hwan on 216. A further two strokes back in third are the Hong Kong, China line-up of Johnstone, Won, Doug Williams and Tony Melloy.
Meanwhile, the women’s team event looks likely to be a battle between Australia and Japan.
In the event in which the best two daily scores from each team of three are counted, Australia had an aggregate of 155 thanks to rounds of 77 from Gemma Dooley and 78 from Louise Mullard.
They will head into Thursday’s second round with a three-stroke advantage from Japan for whom Shiori Uchiyama and Haruko Hirabayashi both carded 79s.
Leading Scores
Men's Team Championship
214 – Australia (Graham Hourn 70, Greg Rhodes 70, Mark Allen 74, Ian Frost 79)
216 – Korea (Heo Ji-baek 67, Kim Dong-sub 74, Moon Ji-seon 75, Chung Hwan 78)
218 – Hong Kong, China (Syren Johnstone 69, Jay Won 70, Doug Williams 79, Tony Melloy 80)
226 – India (Sandeep Singh Sandhu 70, Gaurav Ghosh 77, David D’Souza 79, Amandeep Singh Bajwa 90)
228 – New Zealand (Tam Slaven 75, Stephen Hunger 76, Andrew Hobbs 77, Roy Hollick 80)
Women's Team Championship
155 – Australia (Gemma Dooley 77, Louise Mullard 78, Wendy Harrington 80)
158 – Japan (Shiori Uchiyama 79, Haruko Hirabayashi 79)
165 – Philippines (Leana Carmona 81, Sandy Prieto-Romualdez 84, Joan Morales 94)
168 – Hong Kong, China (Cathy Chung 84, Loida Arnold 84, Yvonne Wong 89)
Men's Individual Overall
67 – Heo Ji-baek (Korea)
69 – Syren Johnstone (Hong Kong, China)
70 – Graham Hourn (Australia); Jay Won (Hong Kong, China); Sandeep Singh Sandhu (India); Greg Rhodes (Australia)
74 – Kim Dong-sub (Korea); Steven Kelbrick (UAE); Ryu Ki-ro (Korea); Mark Allen (Australia)
Men's Individual (Age 55-59)
67 – Heo Ji-baek (Korea)
70 – Graham Hourn (Australia); Jay Won (Hong Kong, China)
74 – Kim Dong-sub (Korea); Steven Kelbrick (UAE); Ryu Ki-ro (Korea); Mark Allen (Australia)
75 – Ahmad Zaffar Ahmad Hayat (Pakistan); Alex Baik (Guam); Moon Jiseon (Korea)
Men's Individual (Age 60-64)
70 – Sandeep Singh Sandhu (India)
75 – Tam Slaven (New Zealand)
77 – Jimmy Aw (Singapore)
78 – Jung Gyeong-ho (Korea); Chung Kwan (Korea)
Men's Individual (Age 65-69)
69 – Syren Johnstone (Hong Kong, China)
70 – Greg Rhodes (Australia)
78 – Lee Kab-so (Hong Kong, China)
79 – Doug Williams (Hong Kong, China); Kim Yang-kwon (Korea); Ian Frost (Australia)
Men's Individual (Age 70 and above)
82 – Gangesh Khaitan (India)
85 – Joe Pethes (Hong Kong, China); Laksman Singh (India)
Women's Individual Overall
77 – Gemma Dooley (Australia)
78 – Louise Mullard (Australia)
79 – Shiori Uchiyama (Japan); Haruko Hirabayashi (Japan)
80 – Wendy Harrington (Australia)
81 – Leana Carmona (Philippines)
Women's Individual (Age 50-54)
84 – Cathy Chong (Hong Kong, China)
91 – Chelsea Chen Xiaoqin (Singapore)
Women's Individual (Age 55-59)
77 – Gemma Dooley (Australia)
79 – Shiori Uchiyama (Japan); Haruko Hirabayashi (Japan)
80 – Wendy Harrington (Australia)
81 – Leana Carmona (Philippines)
Women's Individual (Age 60 and above)
78 – Louise Mullard (Australia)
91 – Rose Tarpley (Guam)
92 – Teresita Blair (Guam)
