EUROPEAN

• Duangdecha fires 62 for Hong Kong lead

  
  

  Hong Kong (Sports Network) - Udorn Duangdecha fired an eight-under 62 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Hong Kong Open.

  Duangdecha, a 39-year-old from Thailand, made 10 birdies and two bogeys in one of the last groups of the day to vault past early leader Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands.

  Derksen, playing in the morning, shot a 63 and held second place by himself at Hong Kong Golf Club.

  Defending champion Wen-Tang Lin of Taiwan, who defeated Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari in a playoff last year, opened with a 64 to share third place with Gregory Bourdy, David Dixon and Thongchai Jaidee.

  There were 38 total players within five strokes of Duangdecha's lead, including Ben Curtis (65), Rory Sabbatini (65), McIlroy (66), Mark O'Meara (66), Lee Westwood (66) and PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang (66).

  The Hong Kong Open is one of two tournaments on the schedule this week that mark the last tests for players to qualify for the season-ending $7.5 million Dubai World Championship.

  The other event is the JBWere Masters in Australia, where Tiger Woods took a share of the lead Thursday.

  Only the top 60 players on the money list after Sunday will make the Dubai field next week. Westwood leads the current money list, trailed closely by McIlroy.

  Duangdecha, a regular on the Asian Tour, was only a couple of birdies away from carding a 59. He posted back-to-back birdies at Nos. 6 and 7 -- his 15th and 16th holes -- to reach nine-under with two holes to play.

  But the surprising leader went on to par the eighth, then three-putt for a closing bogey at the ninth to settle for a one-shot lead.

  "It was a shame to finish the round by three-putting the last, but I am delighted with the round," said Duangdecha.

  He should be. After beginning with a birdie at the 10th -- his first hole -- Duangdecha bogeyed the 12th, then rattled off nine birdies over his next 13 holes as everything seemed to go right with his game.

  Duangdecha credited his fitness and preparation for the strength of his play.

  "It might surprise everyone out there but I don't think it surprised me too much," he said. "I played according to my strategy and it worked out well." Derksen didn't make a par over his last six holes. He collected five birdies during the stretch, but also his lone bogey at the 16th. He held the clubhouse lead until Duangdecha passed him.

  "I didn't hit many bad shots, just one three-putt at 16," said the two-time European Tour winner. "I hit almost all the greens and fairways to give myself chances and I putted beautifully." The event is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.

  11/12 06:21:06 ET