San Francisco, California, United States: Thailand’s Pongsapak Laopakdee and Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat experienced mixed fortunes in the first round of the 125th US Amateur.

While Pongsapak carded an even-par 70 at The Olympic Club’s Lake Course, Ratchanon struggled to a seven-over 77 on the Ocean Course.

Pongsapak, 66th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), raced out of the blocks with a birdie at the par-five first. He gained a further stroke at the eighth to get to two-under before bogeys at the two short holes on the back nine, the 10th and 17th.

Meanwhile, Ratchanon, winner of an Asian Tour event when aged 15 who is now a student at Stanford University, dropped four shots in his opening five holes. What proved to be his only birdie of the day followed at the sixth before another bogey at eight saw him turn in four-over 38. He came back in three-over 39 and ended the day languishing in joint 215th position.

Under seasonal Bay Area cloudiness, there were solid performances from Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh (71) and Australians Declan O’Donovan and Coby Carruthers (both 72).

Anh Minh, runner-up at the US Junior Amateur a fortnight ago at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas, is tied for 38th after a round that included three birdies and four bogeys.

Recently crowned Canadian Open Amateur champion O’Donovan snared four birdies that were offset by four bogeys and a double-bogey six at the fifth.

Of the other Asia-Pacific participants, Singapore’s Hiroshi Tai is tied for 102nd place after a 73 followed by Australian Billy Dowling (tied 129th, 74), China’s Chang Xihuan, New Zealand’s Zach Swanwick and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (tied 156th, 75), Japan’s Keigo Takehara and New Zealander Joshua Bai (tied 193rd, 76), China’s Paul Chang (tied 215th, 77), Australian Aarow Aarav Shah (tied 235th, 78) and Hong Kong’s Luke Brandler (tied 301st, 82).

The 312 competitors will switch stroke play venues on Tuesday for the second round, after which the field will be trimmed to the low 64 scorers for match play, which begins on Wednesday. Should a play-off be necessary to determine the final match play spots, it will take place on Wednesday morning. Match play continues through Sunday’s 36-hole championship match.