HONG KONG:: Ervin Chang bounced back from a shaky start to card a four-under-par 66 and lead the Malaysian challenge in the opening round of the USD2 million Link Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
The 28-year-old recovered from bogeys on his opening two holes to lie four strokes adrift of joint leaders Anirban Lahiri of India and Australia's Kevin Yuan, who set the pace with matching eight-under-par 62s at Hong Kong Golf Club's Composite Course in Fanling.
Starting from the 11th tee, Chang dropped shots on his first two holes but responded immediately with birdies at the next two. He added four more birdies at the third, fifth, sixth and ninth holes to complete an impressive turnaround, placing him joint 21st.
"After my first two, bogey-bogey start, I'm just thinking to myself, 'What am I doing?'" said Chang. "But I managed to keep my mindset good and eventually pull myself back together. I birdied some really tough holes out there today."
Chang singled out his birdies at the fifth and ninth holes as particularly satisfying. At the challenging par-three fifth, which has been lengthened with a new tee box, he struck a seven-iron from approximately 205 yards to within five feet of the pin. He followed that with another fine approach at the ninth, hitting a six-iron from around 200 yards to 15 feet before sinking the birdie putt.
"If you birdie that hole, it's like you're gaining one shot on the course," he said of the fifth.
Making his third successive appearance at the tournament, Chang is hoping to build on last year's joint-14th finish, when he carded rounds of 69, 64, 65 and 67 for a 15-under-par 265 total.
Currently 40th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the 2022 SEA Games gold medallist has recorded two top-six finishes this season, placing joint fifth at the Philippine Golf Championship and sixth at the Yeangder TPC in Taiwan. However, he arrived in Hong Kong seeking to regain momentum after missed cuts at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters and SJM Macao Open.
Fellow Malaysian Gavin Green, the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, also made a positive start with a two-under-par 68. Green mixed four birdies with two bogeys, including a birdie at his final hole, the 10th, to finish six strokes off the lead in joint 48th place.
Khavish Varadan, meanwhile, returned a two-over-par 72, featuring four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey, leaving him joint 104th.
Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond and Poosit Supupramai are in joint third place after matching seven-under-par 63s, one stroke behind Lahiri and Yuan.
Added incentive for the field is an automatic invitation for the Link Hong Kong Open 2026 champion to next year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National, and a place in The 155th Open at St Andrews for the leading player, not already exempt.
The Link Hong Kong Open 2026 is proud to be an “M” Mark event that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. The “M” Mark, awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolises an intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory’s sports calendar.
