MACAU, September 15, 2011 (AFP) - Taiwan's Chan Yih-shin carded an eagle at the last hole to card a five-under-par 66 for a share of the first round lead at the Macau Open on Thursday.
Chan, seeking his second Asian Tour win, was tied overnight at the Macau Golf and Country Club with Anthony Kang of the United States, Rikard Karlberg of Sweden and Englishman Nick Redfern.
Taiwanese veteran Wang Ter-chang, who won the 2005 tournament, rolled back the years to start the $750,000 event with a round of 67.
Chan eagled the par five 18th after landing a 230-yard four-iron approach shot 20 feet from the pin.
"I didn't expect to eagle the last hole. I hit a good drive and attacked the green and knew I needed to get my putt as close to the hole as possible but it went in instead which was a bonus," said the 34-year-old.
Chan currently lies 64th in the tour Order of Merit but said his confidence was growing and he hoped to put a difficult year behind him.
Korean-American Kang, 38, has also endured a poor year, missing 20 out of 27 cuts, but his touch returned in Macau as he sank six birdies and hit all but four fairways.
"I missed a ton of cuts this year but my game is getting better because my short game has improved," he said.
"You really don't notice it as you are playing but it adds up to a stroke saved here and there and before you know it you are on the good side of the cut."
At the ripe old age of 49, Wang is playing some of his best golf, continuing his form from last week's Singapore Classic with a strong first round in Macau that featured four birdies in his last six holes.
"This is my 12th year playing in Macau and I feel very comfortable here," he said.
"The competition gets tougher every year and the course is good for the big hitters and young players. A player of my age has to put in more effort to play well."
The Macau Open has been a regular fixture on the Asian Tour calendar and has previously attracted some of the world's best players, including England's Lee Westwood, who won in 1999, and 2003 victor Colin Montgomerie of Scotland.
Leading first-round scores at the $750,000 Macau Open on Thursday:
66 - Anthony Kang (USA), Rikard Karlberg (SWE), Chan Yih-shin (TPE), Nick Redfern (ENG)
67 - Wang Ter-chang (TPE), Brad Smith (AUS), Adam Groom (AUS)
68 - Pasamet Pogamnerd (THA), Hwang Inn-Choon (KOR), Jeev M Singh (IND), Marciano Pucay (PHI), Namchok Tantipokhakul (THA), Juvic Pagunsan (PHI), Lin Chie-hsiang (TPE), Kalle Samooja (FIN), Angelo Que (PHI), Simon Griffiths (ENG), Danny Chia (MAS)