Rock rolls to the top in Malaysia

Robert Rock moved to the top of the leaderboard at the Maybank Malaysian Open today with an opening round six-under-par 66 at Saujana Golf and Country Club.

Rock, who turned professional in 1998 but has yet to win on the European Tour, carded seven birdies and a sole bogey at the Palm course to put himself one stroke ahead of India’s SSP Chowrasia.

Rafael Echenique of Argentina, Kane Webber of Australia and American Edward Loar are tied for third place on four under. A group of five players, including England’s Mark Foster and 2002 Malaysian Open winner Alistair Forsyth of Scotland, a further shot behind.

Starting on the back nine in the afternoon, Rock quickly moved to two under with birdies at the 11th and 12th. He gave back a stroke with a bogey on the 15th but birdies at the next two holes saw him reach the turn at three under.

Further birdies followed at the first and fifth before the 29-year-old from Rugeley put his eight-iron approach within 12 feet at the ninth and holed the birdie putt to move open the possibility of surpassing his previous best performance on the tour, joint fourth at the 2003 British Masters.

Chowrasia had earlier fired seven birdies and two bogeys in the morning to take the clubhouse lead.

An eight-time winner on the Indian Tour, Chowrasia is seeking his first victory on the Asian Tour after losing in a play-off to compatriot Jyoti Randhawa at last year’s Indian Open.

He said: “I putted really well and played solid. It’s a tough course. It’s undulating and you don’t have many flat lies around but it’s a good course and I like it.”

“My feel wasn’t good yesterday, I don’t know why. But this morning, I hit good shots and hit some good putts in practice and suddenly my feel came back.

“I hope I play well this week.”

Echenique and Loar carded four-under 68s in the morning, while Webber returned the same score in the afternoon to lie two shots off the lead.

Foster and Forsyth were tied for sixth place with Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina.

Two-time winner Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Jeev Milkha Singh of India began the tournament with steady but unspectacular one-under 71s while Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn is at one over.

Darren Clarke, Michael Campbell and Lee Westwood will have some work to do on Friday as they look to make the cut. Clarke shot a two-over 74 on Thursday while Campbell and Westwood both carded 75.