Hong Kong Open: Nitithorn seals early lead with sand save fit for event’s storied 18th
Thai golfer Nitithorn Thippong chips in from greenside bunker at famous closing hole to finish first round one shot ahead of the field
There have been plenty of famous moments on the 18th hole at the Hong Kong Open: Rory McIlroy holing out from a bunker to win in 2011, Miguel Angel Jimenez’s play-off triumph in 2013 and Ben Campbell draining a 15-foot birdie putt for victory last year among them.
If Nitithorn Thippong goes on to lift the trophy on Sunday at Hong Kong Golf Club, then add his chip in for par from the greenside bunker on Thursday, having failed to get out with his first shot from a plugged lie, to the hole’s storied history.
While the Thai golfer’s shot was merely to keep his one-stroke lead after the first round, the eight-under-par 62 could be the morale-boosting performance he needs to get his season back on track.
A three-time winner on the Asian Tour, Nitithorn is presently 81st on the order of merit, and needs two big weeks, at Fanling and in Qatar, to make the season finale in Riyadh at the beginning of December. A win at last year’s Indonesia Open at least means he does not need to worry about losing his card.
“The key for me today was to make myself flow and stick with the plan. I have been thinking too much about my golf and my swing. I have had a problem with my mental game this year.”
Hard on his heels are defending champion Campbell, Kevin Yuan and Kazuki Higa, who all shot 63s.
