Moto and Zhou Quick off the Mark at US Junior

Michigan, United States: Japan’s Taishi Moto and China’s Zhou Ziqin were fast out of the starting blocks at the 76th US Junior Amateur Championship.

Moto and Zhou both returned two-under-par 68s to gain a share of equal seventh place at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Zhou was in the half of the 264-strong field that played the South Course, which will be used for match play beginning on Wednesday. The other half, including Moto, played the North Course.

The Monster, the South Course’s nickname given by 1951 US Open champion Ben Hogan, played 1.6 strokes harder.

China’s Chang Xihuan, the top-rated player in the field at 39th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), finished with a one-over 71 on the South Course.

Of the other Asia-Pacific ‘heavyweights’ in the starting line-up, Thai Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat (57th in the WAGR) signed for a 74 on the South Course, his scorecard scarred with a quadruple-bogey eight at the 16th.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh (79th in the WAGR) is tied for 58th after a 72 on the North Course.

There were encouraging starts for Korean 15-year-old An Seong-hyeon and New Zealand’s 18-year-old Joshua Bai.

An, who triumphed in The R&A Junior Boys' Open at Kilmarnock (Barassie) last week, showed no signs of jet-lag as he carded a one-under 69 on the South Course highlighted by an eagle-two at the 496-yard 14th.

Bai, the beaten finalist last year, emulated the performance of China’s Chang, firing a one-over 71 on the South Course, a round including five birdies, three bogeys and a triple-bogey six at the par-three ninth.

The first player from the United Arab Emirates to participate in a US Junior Amateur, 17-year-old Rayan Ahmed returned an 81 on the South Course.

Nine-time USGA champion and three-time US Junior Amateur champion Tiger Woods was in the gallery on Monday watching his 15-year-old son, Charlie, make his USGA championship debut. Charlie qualified for the championship at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Florida last month, where he shot a one-under 71 to earn medallist honours. He shot 82 on the North Course on Monday.

The second and final round of stroke play will take place on Tuesday. Following the round, the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers for match play, which begins on Wednesday. Match play continues from Wednesday until Saturday’s 36-hole championship match.

The field includes a total of 43 representatives from 16 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation member countries – China (11), Thailand (eight), Chinese Taipei (four), Hong Kong China (three), Australia, Jordan, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam (two each), and one apiece from India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.