Golf: Mitchell Slorach is best local after sweet-sour round

Mitchell Slorach crumbled with a double-bogey and bogey on the way in to finish at one-under 71. PHOTO: SINGAPORE GOLF ASSOCIATION

SINGAPORE - From a top-eight position, Singapore's Mitchell Slorach found the going tough in the second nine of his first round in Asian Tour's US$1.5 million (S$2.1 million) International Series Singapore on Thursday's (Aug 11).

After taming the challenging Tanah Merah Country Club's Tampines course with four great birdies in the first nine, Slorach crumbled with a double-bogey and bogey on the way in to finish at one-under 71.

Still, it was a decent round by the 34-year-old seasoned golfer, who rued the 254-yard par-three fourth which saw him drop two shots and eventually fall to joint-44th.

His caddie Monica Matsubara said: "He was unlucky on the par-three hole. His tee-shot found the deep right bunker. His sand shot just got out and he three putted."

Singapore's Choo Tze Huang put behind an awful start from the 10th tee with three bogeys out of five holes to come back with four birdies (dented by a bogey on the seventh) for an even-par 72 to give himself a shot at making the cut today (Friday).

Veteran Mardan Mamat also shot 72 to keep his hopes alive while amateur Hiroshi Tai joined them in tied-62nd position out of 144 starters.

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