Houston Bjorn again after top tip from Thomas

Garry Houston paid tribute to Ryder Cup winner Thomas Bjorn for inspiring the Welshman’s seven-under-par 63 opening round at the Hong Kong Open.

Houston produced his second-best finish on the European Tour Order of Merit last season despite enduring a disappointing climax in October which saw the 38-year-old miss three cuts at the Dunhill Links Championship, Portugal Masters and Mallorca Classic, having been forced to retire from the Open de Madrid Valle Romano.

However, Houston heads into the second round of the £1.1m (€1.53m) event co-sanctioned between the European and Asian Tours at the Hong Kong Golf Club a shot adrift of overnight leader KJ Choi of Korea.

He puts his success down to a practice round meeting with Bjorn, who was recently elected as chairman of the powerful European Tournament Committee.

“I played with Thomas Bjorn on Tuesday in practice and he gave me a couple of tips that I haven’t been doing and I took it out there today and that got me round so I should really thank Thomas for that,” said Houston.

“It was just a little trigger really, where my weight was going into my right leg on the backswing. I couldn’t feel it but he could spot it.

“I’m very much looking forward to the next few days. I’m off early tomorrow morning and I’ll see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully I can carry the form of today through to the weekend.”

Houston is on course to make a return to weekend action after following up a solid opening nine holes, where he had several opportunities to add to the three birdies, with a run of three holes after the turn where he picked up shots.

He added another two quick birdies to head down the last at eight-under-par before falling victim of the sloping Fanling greens with a three-putt bogey.

Houston holds a one-stroke advantage over Swedish duo Robert Karlsson and Fredrik Andersson Hed, while Scotland’s Barry Hume, 2004 champion Miguel Angel Jimenez and Korea’s Kang Wook-soon are a further shot adrift.

“I missed maybe two or three makeable putts on the back nine, my front nine, but I made a couple of saves as well so it swings and roundabouts,” he added.

“I suppose eight under on the 17th tee was fair. That hasn’t been how my game has been going recently, I wish it was. A big improvement in all aspects today was a welcome change in my form of late so hopefully I can carry that through.”