JAKARTA, March 28 - Japanese superstar Shingo Katayama birdied the last two holes for a seven-under-par 65 and a share of the lead after the opening round of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship at Emeralda Golf Club on Thursday.
Katayama joined countrymen Katsumasa Miyamoto and Kazuhiro Yamashita, Canadian rookie Richard T. Lee and Koreans Song Young-han and Lee Kyong-hoon atop the leaderboard at the U.S. $1 million event, co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
Showing the sort of form that has seen him win 26 times on the Japan Tour, Katayama started like a bullet train with six birdies on his outward nine. A bogey on the par three 13th was the only blot on his scorecard, but he finished with a birdie-birdie flourish in pursuit of his first victory since 2008.
"I was very satisfied with my first nine, but the wind picked up on the back which made it a bit more difficult," said the 40-year-old, who has won the Japan Order of Merit five times and boasts career earnings of over 1.5 billion yen (U.S. $16 million).
"I saw that seven under was the lead before I started, so my aim was to match that," said Katayama, a big supporter of burgeoning relationship between OneAsia and the JGTO.
"I am pleased with my effort."
Playing the course back-to-front in the morning, Miyamato eagled the par five 17th and the first, continuing the excellent form he produced at the season opening Thailand Open two weeks ago where he equaled the course record with a third-round 63 at Thana City Golf & Sports Club.
Miyamoto, an eight-time winner on the Japan Tour, said he abandoned his usually conservative strategy in order to take on the Arnold Palmer-designed course.
"I feel you have to be aggressive here," he said, after stiffing a three-iron 210 meters (235 yards) to six metres on the 17th for an eagle putt and then a five iron 180 meters (200 yards) to two meters on the first.
"In terms of shots, I actually played better in Thailand," Miyamoto said. "I am going a bit left, so I need to work on that."
Yamashita meanwhile credited a new driver for his bogey-free 65 and a share of the lead -- as well as a familiarity with the course, having arrived last week in a bid to get used to the sweltering conditions.
"I'm very satisfied with today's game, my shot accuracy and putting are good," he said.
"Since Monday I've been using a new Srixon driver -- it has a smaller head -- and it is working very well. I'm very relaxed as I have got used to the course."
Lee, who earned his place in the field by finishing runner-up at Q-School in Malaysia in January, was also at home around the rolling 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) course having set lofty goals for the week.
"I really want to do well," he said. "Look, I don't mind saying I try to win every tournament I enter and I think that is a positive mindset to have, but there is a long way to go."
The big names kept in touch with the leaders with Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh, competing in a OneAsia event for the first time, posting 70, and England's Simon Dyson, a winner on this course in 2006, a shot better.
Nick Cullen, winner of the Indonesian Open at this venue last year, continued his romance of the course with a solid 68, while Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant finished with a 71.
Defending champion Andre Stolz from Australia, who won the title when it was last played in 2011, was well in the hunt with a 67, while China's Liang Wenchong, a four-time winner on OneAsia, went a stroke better.
Home favorite Rory Hie, runner-up to Stolz in 2011, had four birdies and four bogeys for a topsy-turvy 72. Countryman Andik Mauludin scored two more birdies which put him as best local player in a share of 54th place posting 70. Rinaldi Adiyandono and Johannes Dermawan are the only other local players under par with both a 71.
Scores after round one of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship being played at the par 72, 6,581-metre (7,198-yard) Emeralda Golf Club course:
65 - Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN), Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN), Richard T LEE (CAN), SONG Young-han (KOR), Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN), LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR)
66 - Hideto TANIHARA (JPN), Akinori TANI (JPN), Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN), LIANG Wen-chong (CHN)
67 - Tadahiro TAKAYAMA (JPN), Azuma YANO (JPN), CHOI Ho-sung (KOR), Yuta IKEDA (JPN), Andre STOLZ (AUS), PARK Sang-hyun (KOR), Toshinori MUTO (JPN), Matthew MILLAR (AUS)
Selected:
70 - Andik MAULUDIN (INA)
71 - Rinaldi ADIYANDONO (INA), Johannes DERMAWAN (INA)
72 - Maan NASIM (INA), Rory HIE (INA)
73 - George GANDRANATA (INA), Ramadhan ALWIE (INA)
74 - ILYASSYAK (INA), Benny KASIADI (INA), Roby SUGARA (INA), Indra HERMAWAN (INA), Jamel ONDO (INA), Hendry NASIM (INA), Denny A. WIDJADYA (INA), Ian ANDREW (INA), Sandro BERNAD (INA)
77 - Heri KL (INA)
78 - Ade SEBUL (INA), RUDIANTO (INA), I Ketut SUGIARTA (INA)
80 - Junaidi IBRAHIM (INA), Dede IDRIS (INA)
81 - Randy MAWUNTO (INA), Andi YATMO (INA)
83 - HARDJITO (INA)
86 - JOKO (INA)
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