Round 1 the 11th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final  12:00, 16/03/2017

With a bogey-free, five-under-par 66 over the acclaimed Faldo Design layout at Laguna Lăng Cô in Danang, scratch-handicapper Mohammad Rasel, the number two ranked amateur in Bangladesh who was aged 21 when he won the Faldo Series Bangladesh Championship last October, set a blistering pace.

Hot on his heels is Naraadjie Emerald Ramadhan, who justified his wild card invitation with a three-under 68 to claim outright second place on a day when only 11 players in the elite 85-strong field bettered par.

Among them was 17-year-old Geraldine Wong. The Malaysian’s one-under 70 saw her open up a two-shot lead from highly-rated Japanese Minori Nagano in the Girls’ Division.

Sir Nick Faldo, who is hosting participants from 20 countries at the Laguna Lăng Cô resort this week, said: “I’m thrilled to see such outstanding performances from Rasel and Naraadjie. It shows the growing strength in depth that there is across Asia and bodes well for the future.”

Malaysia’s Wong continued the good form she showed in finishing runner-up in a domestic tournament last week, chipping-in from off the back of the green at 18 to ensure a sub-par return. “I just want to do my best,” said Wong, who has earned a golf scholarship to the University of Central Arkansas.

Following the first round, Sir Nick conducted a long-game clinic for Grand Final participants. Some 24 hours earlier, he took part in a ‘Swing for Fun’ session with 30 students from the local Nuoc Ngot and Binh Am primary schools. “It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of these young kids as they were introduced to the game. Our hope is that they maintain an interest in golf,” he said.