Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun capitalised on securing his visa to play here this week at the last minute by taking a share of the lead in the US$5million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers today.
He fired a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 here at Riyadh Golf Club, along with Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand, to make the best possible start in the star-studded season-ending event on both the Asian Tour and The International Series.
Korea’s Yubin Jang and Chilean Joaquin Niemann are next best placed after 65s, while American Peter Uihlein, who currently leads The International Series Rankings, is in a group of 11 players who carded 66.
“I only got my visa on Monday, which was the day I arrived,” laughed Chang.
“It is a really big event, probably the biggest I have played in, so I am a little nervous.”
Four birdies on the front and three on the back saw him upstage a field that includes 42 players from the LIV Golf League.
The 31-year-old is clearly still on a high after finishing joint second in the BNI Indonesian Masters last month, which helped secure his playing rights for next season.
He added: “I am especially excited to see DJ [Dustin Johnson] here this week. It would be really cool to play in the same group as him.”
Sadom, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, dropped his only shot of the day on 17 but birdied the last, like Chang.
He said: “This is the last tournament of the year, and I’ve prepared well. I’m happy and honoured to be playing in this tournament where there are so many great golfers in the world. I’ve tried to study every good shot from them.”
Niemann is here after finishing joint fifth in the Australian Open week and despite the lengthy trip showed no signs of tiredness.
“I feel like, yeah, my game is in good shape,” said the Chilean, who finished the year second individually on the LIV Golf League.
“I mean, it’s nice to finish the year having a lot of good golf. Playing good tournaments, too. It’s been fun. I haven’t had a great Sunday yet on my last three tournaments, and so yeah, I think there’s always stuff to improve. I’m off to a great start here in Saudi, so I’m pretty happy with that.”
Promising young Saudi golfer Khalid Attieh, who made history earlier this year at the International Series Oman where he became the first Saudi amateur to make the cut in a professional tournament, carded a 67 while his compatriot Saud Al Sharif fired a 68 – a nod to the progress golf is making in Saudi.
John Catlin from the United States, who wrapped up the Asian Tour Order of Merit title last week, also returned a 68. He is in second place on the rankings and one of a wealth of players who can take that title and secure a place on next year’s LIV Golf League as the winner this week will earn 1,000 points.
Defending champion Abraham Ancer from Mexico was another to shoot 68.
Scores after round 1 of the PIF Saudi International being played at Riyadh Golf Club, a par-71, 7,408-yard course (am – denotes amateur):
64 – Chang Wei-lun (TPE), Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA).
65 – Yubin Jang (KOR), Joaquin Niemann (CHI).
66 – Ryosuke Kinoshita (JPN), Talor Gooch (USA), Peter Uihlein (USA), Kalle Samooja (FIN), Kevin Na (USA), Travis Smyth (AUS), Eugenio Chacarra (ESP), Matthew Wolff (USA), Jason Kokrak (USA), Adam Bresnu (am, MOR), Jinichiro Kozuma (JPN).
67 – Khalid Attieh (KSA), Gunn Charoenkul (THA), Richard Bland (ENG), Richard T. Lee (CAN), Thomas Pieters (BEL), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Matt Jones (AUS), Jaco Ahlers (RSA), Steve Lewton (ENG), Cameron Smith (AUS), Yuta Sugiura (JPN).
68 – Sebastian Munoz (COL), Kieran Vincent (ZIM), Nick Voke (NZL), John Catlin (USA), Ben Campbell (NZL), Taichi Kho (HKG), Chan Shih-chang (TPE), Saud Al Sharif (KSA), Rupert Kaminski (RSA), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Patrick Reed (USA), Abraham Ancer (MEX), Sam Horsfield (ENG), Dean Burmester (RSA), Ratchanon Chantananuwat (am, THA), Ian Snyman (RSA), Caleb Surratt (USA), Sarit Suwannarut (THA), Logan McAllister (USA), Jayden Schaper (RSA).
69 – Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Bubba Watson (USA), Scott Vincent (ZIM), Justin Quiban (PHI), Thomas Rosenmueller (GER), Martin Kaymer (GER), Harold Varner III (USA), Branden Grace (RSA), Ryan Moore (USA), Tyrrell Hatton (ENG), Miguel Tabuena (PHI), Christian Banke (USA), Santiago De la Fuente (MEX), Wooyoung Cho (KOR), Luis Masaveu (ESP), Natipong Srithong (THA).
70 – Carlos Ortiz (MEX), Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA), Jed Morgan (AUS), Phachara Khongwatmai (THA), Junghwan Lee (KOR), Cristobal Del Solar (CHI), Tatsunori Shogenji (JPN), Frederico Biondi (BRA), Lee Chieh-po (TPE), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND), Dustin Johnson (USA), Cameron Tringale (USA), Marc Leishman (AUS), Brett Coletta (AUS), Wade Ormsby (AUS), Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA), Jak Carter (AUS), Poom Saksansin (THA).
71 – Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Maverick Antcliff (AUS), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), David Puig (ESP), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Hongtaek Kim (KOR), Norman Xiong (USA), Trent Phillips (USA), Poosit Supupramai (THA), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Zach Bauchou (USA), Sampson Zheng (CHN).
72 – M.J. Maguire (USA), Jbe Kruger (RSA), Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA), Anthony Kim (USA), Bjorn Hellgren (SWE), Hudson Swafford (USA), Roberto Diaz (MEX), Daniel Gale (AUS).
73 – Stefano Mazzoli (ITA), Adrian Meronk (POL), Pat Perez (USA), Brendan Steele (USA), Anirban Lahiri (IND), Kazuki Higa (JPN).
74 – Neil Schietekat (RSA), David Boriboonsub (THA), Danny Lee (NZL), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Oihan Guillamoundeguy (FRA), Graeme McDowell (NIR), Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (THA), Ayoub Lguirati (MOR).
75 – Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA).
76 – Othman Almulla (KSA), Joshua Grenville-Wood (UAE), Faisal Salhab (KSA).
77 – Shergo Al Kurdi (KSA).
