The Australian contingent has made a great start at the Asian Tour Q-School with Matt Jager leading the field at one of the two venues being played and two other Australians holding down second and third place.
The Australian contingent has made a great start at the Asian Tour Q-School with Matt Jager leading the field at one of the two venues being played and two other Australians holding down second and third place.
Jager fired a 4-under-par 68 at the Khon Kaen course in Thailand to be three shots ahead of Chris Gaunt with Jarrod John Freeman a further shot back sharing third.
At the Imperial Lake View Golf Cub, the second venue being used for the first stage of the Q-School, Matthew Giles is the leading Australian in a share of third place after a 6-under 66.
In all 18 Australians are teeing up across the two venues this week hoping to make the final stage to be played in two weeks’ time.
Section B of first stage will be held next week, again across two venues, with the top qualifiers having a chance to earn one of 40 cards at the final stage.
At the Lake View course Andrew Martin (T11) and Kevin Lee (T17) are the only other Australians inside the top-20 but things are more promising at Koen Khan.
Aside from holding down the top three places, three other Australians are inside the top-10 with Matthew McBain, Rohan Blizard and Jason Norris all sharing 5th after 1-over-par rounds of 73.
The top 17 per cent of finishers at each of the first stage qualifiers earn a spot at the final stage. That number was 32 in 2014 and similar numbers are expected this year.
A further 37 Australians are entered for Section B of the first stage qualifier which gets underway next week.
Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club, Khon Kaen – Full Leaderboard
Pos. | Name | R1 | To Par | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Matt JAGER (AUS) | -4 | -4 | (68) |
2 | Chris GAUNT (AUS) | -1 | -1 | (71) |
3 | Jarrod John FREEMAN (AUS) | Par | Par | (72) |
3 | Lerpong SITTHIWONG (THA) | Par | Par | (72) |
5 | Jordan SMITH (ENG) | +1 | +1 | (73) |
5 | Mathiam KEYSER (RSA) | +1 | +1 | (73) |
5 | Matthew MCBAIN (AUS) | +1 | +1 | (73) |
5 | Rohan BLIZARD (AUS) | +1 | +1 | (73) |
5 | Chonsan PHUTTIPHANPALIT (THA) | +1 | +1 | (73) |
5 | Jason NORRIS (AUS) | +1 | +1 | (73) |
Imperial Lakeview Golf Club, Hua Hin – Full Leaderboard
Pos. | Name | R1 | To Par | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Teemu PUTKONEN (FIN) | -7 | -7 | (65) |
1 | Konosuke NAKAZATO (JPN) | -7 | -7 | (65) |
3 | Matthew GILES (AUS) | -6 | -6 | (66) |
4 | CHOI Jin-Sung (KOR) | -5 | -5 | (67) |
4 | Christopher CANNON (ENG) | -5 | -5 | (67) |
6 | Kittitee POMBUNMEE (THA) | -4 | -4 | (68) |
6 | Samarth DWIVEDI (A) (IND) | -4 | -4 | (68) |
6 | Smithti TEERATRAKUL (THA) | -4 | -4 | (68) |
6 | KIM Seong Keun (USA) | -4 | -4 | (68) |
6 | Mitchell Beom (KOR) | -4 | -4 | (68) |