Liang takes lead in Maekyung Open

Liang Wen-chong of China surged into a two-stroke lead at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open after firing a superb eight-under-par 64 in the opening round on Thursday.

Liang, who claimed his first victory on the European and Asian Tours at the joint-sanctioned Clariden Leu Singapore Masters in March, enjoyed an excellent start at Nam Seoul Country Club with a round that included an eagle, eight birdies and two bogeys.

“I putted really well and coped on the fast greens. I was driving and hitting my irons solid all day and converted most of my putts for birdies from inside 15 feet,” said Liang.

“I’ve been playing well since last week and hopefully I can carry the form through the weekend.”

Liang leads the Asian Tour event by two shots from Australian rookie Mitchell Brown, who shot a bogey-free 66.

New Zealand’s Richard Lee and Korea’s Yu Jong-goo are in joint third place on four-under 68 while Scotland’s Ross Bain and Lee Gun-hee of Korea are a further shot adrift in a tie for fifth.