PETALING JAYA: It was a crowded leaderboard indeed at the end of the first round of the ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship in Manila.
The relatively unknown trio Yutaka Araki of Japan and Australians Matthew McBain and R.J. Caracella shared the lead with home-crowd favourites Angelo Que and Cassius Casas after all five posted identical five-under 67 at the US$60,000 (RM194,340) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event at the Orchard Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.
The five are one stroke ahead of another five golfers – Filipinos Arnold Villacencio and Clyde Mondilla, Japan’s Masaru Takahashi and Yuki Usami and Scotland’s Clarke Lutton.
Three-time Asian Tour winner Que said he will take part in more home tournaments for now so as to be closer to his two-month-old son.
And he certainly capitalised on his home course advantage by firing six birdies against one bogey.
“I had to stay back in the Philippines rather than travel to Thailand for the Queen’s Cup because we do not have a new nanny yet,” he said.
“It’s also nice to be playing on your home course and being closer to home and the family.”
McBain, the 2008 Hong Kong Amateur Open champion, started brilliantly from the 10th tee – with three birdies in his opening four holes, before adding another birdie and rolling in a 35-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole.
The 29-year-old only only dropped a shot on the fourth hole.
“It’s always nice to see your putts rolling in early in the round. It made me comfortable and confident,” he said.
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