Asian Tour professional Kevin Chun showed the benefit of his international experience to fire a five-under 65 in the first round of the Carrus Tauranga Open yesterday.
Back in Auckland on a break in the Asian Tour schedule, he is in a three-way tie for the lead withfellow professional Michael Hendry and leading amateur Scott Johnson, both from North Harbour, in the opening tournament of the Charles Tour.
They have a one-shot lead over a trio of amateurs including last year's runner-up, Leighton Edwards (The Grange), and the Whangarei pair of Dale Clarke and Gary John Hill.
Three players share seventh place on three-under 67 including rookie pro Richard Anderson, the highly experienced Grant Moorhead and in-form amateur Ryan Fox (Auckland).
Chun, 22, looked as if he would be the lone leader as the field took advantage of idyllic conditions at Tauranga Golf Club with some hot scoring in the afternoon.
The former New Zealand international had moved to seven-under after 14 holes but made back-to-back bogeys at the 16th and 17th to settle for a share of the lead.
"I was mistake-free until the 16th after I hit my drive under a tree and missed a makeable par putt. But I should not have made a bogey at 17th after I hit such a good drive," he said.
Chun is delighted to take advantage of a break from his professional grind on the Asian and Korean PGA Tours to play in Tauranga for the first time.
North Harbour policeman Johnson enjoyed another strong performance to back up his course record at the recent North Island Amateur. He mixed seven birdies with a bogey on the 14th to move to six-under but dropped a shot at his final hole.
Hendry had a more adventurous day, mixing a double bogey with two birdies on his first nine holes but zoomed through his second nine (after starting at the 11th) with four birdies and an eagle in a seven-hole blitz.
The leader female is brilliant 13-year-old Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), who shot four birdies in her even-par 71. She has a one-shot lead over 2007 national amateur champion Larissa Eruera (Aviation).
