Scotland fired an opening five-under 67 at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin to join Thai ace Varanyu Rattanaphaibulkij and Frenchman Lionel Weber atop the leaderboard of the 54-hole event.

American-Thai 15-year-old Tip-Aucha, the first female to play the developmental Pro-Am tour, signed for a one-over 73 to be T41 overnight. She is sixth on an amateur leaderboard lead by Dubai-born Indian No.1 Rayhan Thomas who carded a tidy two-under 70 in his first MENA Tour start of the season.

After birdieing her opening hole, Tip-Aucha made the turn at level par before double bogeys on the 10th and 12th stalled her momentum. Unruffled by the mid-round wobble, the sponsors’ invitee picked up three shots in her last five holes to sign her card with a smile.

For context, Victoria Tip-Aucha’s opening 73 was a shot better than Dubai-based Swiss national team amateur Michael Harradine

“I started off well, but got to the point where I was four-over. I think I did well to bring it back to one over, which was good,” said Tip-Aucha who has won five Thailand girls golf circuit events this year.

Scotland missed the cut at the Casablanca Open and finished a disappointing T43 at the later Mohammedia Open in Morocco before a back injury forced his withdrawal from last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic. But some concentrated range time back in England has clearly worked wonders as he went bogey free to be one of 29 players to better par, 10 Thai players among them.

Weber, who is an Banyan Golf Club ambassador, cashed in on his home course knowledge to reel off seven birdies against two bogeys.

Frenchman Lionel Weber took advantage of familiar surroundings

“I just didn’t putt very well, but still made some birdies out there which was quite pleasing,” said the Frenchman.

Lee Corfield, a four-time winner on the MENA Tour, overcame a first hole bogey to card a 68 that left the 35-year-old Englishman in a three-man group tied for fourth along with countryman Jordan Garnish and Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai.

Thomas, who is supported by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, leads the amateur division by one from the Thai trio of Runchanapong Youprayong, Worathon Zeng and 14-year-old Phichaksn Maichon, who recently won the 13-14 division at the 2016 Junior World Championships in the U.S.

Elsewhere, 2016 order of merit champion Craig Hinton carded a level-par 72, English compatriot and current moneylist leader Andrew Marshall a 73 as former England cricketer-turned-golfer Craig  Kieswetter returned a 78 after making the turn at level par.

UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh endured a difficult opening round, signing for an 81 that left him a mountain to climb to make the cut.

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Had it not been for American 15-year-old Victoria Tip-Aucha’s historic appearance in Hau Hin, Thomas’ return to the MENA Tour would have undoubtedly generated the main interest ahead of the $50,000 MahaSamutr Masters at Banyan GC.

Regardless of how Tip-Aucha fares as the developmental tour’s female pioneer, Thomas’ performance will garner much attention after his growing reputation enabled the Dubai-based Indian amateur No.1 to bypass the first three events of the season for better things – the very purpose of the MENA Tour.

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American teen set for historic MENA Tour start in Thailand

Thomas created headlines when he made the cut at February’s Dubai Desert Classic and played alongside 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett in the final round. It followed a practice round tee time with Rickie Fowler in Abu Dhabi and earned the teen a late invite to the Hero Indian Open, his fourth European Tour start (after playing the Qatar Masters in 2016).

Since then Thomas has focused on the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley GC near Augusta National where a closing 68 saw him finish a credible T13 in what is widely regarded as the world’s leading junior tournament.

The invaluable U.S. experience, coupled with his emergence in Thailand last season when he finished second at the Mountain Creek Open and third at the MahaSamutr Masters, has Thomas raring for this week’s 54-holer.

“It feels good to return to golf courses where you have enjoyed some good finishes,” said Thomas who kicked on from Thailand to become the MENA Tour’s first amateur winner at his home Dubai Creek Open last September.

“I have been working very hard with my coach Justin Parsons and the good thing is that I am feeling confident about my game.”

Thomas won’t have it all his own way in Thailand, of course. Englishman Zane Scotland, a 10-time winner, is back after a back injury saw him skip last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic. Bahrain-based Daniel Owen will look to rebound from a disastrous final round 82 at Tower Links after leading through 36-holes with a pair of 66s.

Other notable contenders include Lee Corfield, Craig Hinton and Andrew Marshall, all multiple winners on the tour, and cricketer-turned-golfer Craig Kieswetter, who graduated from the tour’s qualifying school earlier this year.

They’ll all be mindful of Wolmer Murillo, the 36-year-old Venezuelan star who won the Mountain Creek Open by Golf Citizen by three shots and followed it up with a second-place finish in the MahaSamutr Masters a week later when the tour travelled to Thailand for the first time in 2016.

Murillo, who is attached to Banyan Golf Club, will be keen to pick up where he left off last year, but will have to contend with a 139-player field including 13 MENA Tour winners. The tournament will have a distinct Thai flavour with a strong home contingent of 25 golfers.

UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh will spearhead the challenge in the MENA Division, confident of racking up some good results.

“I am working on certain aspects of my game and hope to get things dialed in sooner than later. It’s always a work in progress,”Al Musharrekh said.

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The 15-year-old American-Thai will become the first female to play a MENA Tour event after accepting a sponsors invite from MahaSamutr Country Club for the 54-hole event at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin.

“I’m not playing to prove anything, but just loved the idea of playing in a men’s event. Simple as that,” Tip-Aucha said of her historic appearance which is sure to hog headlines as the tour begins its three-tournament Thailand swing.

“This is a new challenge for me and I love challenges because they offer me an opportunity to grow in some way and stretch my creative muscles. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson have all played in men’s events in recent years following Babe Didrikson Zaharaias’ pioneering feat when she teed it up in a PGA Tour event in 1938.

The developmental Pro-Am MENA Tour isn’t at the same level but will still undoubtedly test the slightly built Tip-Aucha.

Born and raised in the US, the teen does bring top form to Banyan GC. She has already won five times on the Thailand girls golf circuit this year including victory at the International School Junior Golf Tournament and ASB Eagle Cup. In the U.S. she won the 47th Virginia State Golf Association Championship and the Junior All-Star at Chantilly National last year.

“Obviously, my immediate goal is to post a strong finish, but I can’t really control all of it. What I can control is how hard I try and what I can do. What I can do is to have fun out there and just play the best I can,” Tip-Aucha said.

“I hope the experience of playing alongside MENA Tour players will stand me good stead and that will be the biggest takeaway from the tournament.”

Tip-Aucha said she was grateful for the invite and “I truly value their [MahaSamutr Country Club] gesture.” Veeranat Limprasutr, Head of Business Development and Director of Operations at MahaSamutr Country Club, was playing the mutual appreciation game on the eve of the event.

“We are really delighted to have Victoria join our tournament. She is charismatic, she is skillful and her presence will keep the atmosphere buzzing,” said Limprasutr.

“Golf is a game you play against yourself, so it’s going to be a Victoria vs Victoria show in her quest to improve and test her abilities. If you look at her achievements, it’s so impressive. Our invitation is a step in the process of making her a better player.”

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Tour added: “It’s indeed ground-breaking for the Tour as Victoria is making her first foray into a men’s event. She is a special talent, one who combines feminine grace with power and technique, making her a suitable candidate for a strong ambassador for the future of women’s golf.”

The MahaSamutr Masters will also see Dubai-based Indian amateur Rayhan Thomas make his first MENA Tour appearance of the season following an impressive T13 finish at the Junior Invitational, regarded as the leading junior tournament in the world, at Sage Valley GC near Augusta National earlier this month.
 

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