YANGON, February 2, 2012 (AFP) - Ben Fox of the United States reaped the benefits of extra hours slogging it in the gym as he shot a sparkling eight-under-par 64 to share the first-round lead at the Zaykabar Myanmar Open on Thursday.
Fox fired a flawless round with eight birdies that was matched by Australians Scott Hend, who has won once on the Asian Tour, and former European Tour player Wade Ormsby at the Royal Mingalardon Golf and Country Club.
Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand, a three-time Asian Tour winner, was a further shot back with Kim Gi-Whan of South Korea in the $300,000 event, the first of the Asian Tour season.
Fox, who is searching for his first Asian Tour victory, credited the hard work in the gym during the off-season for his fast start.
"I worked hard in the off-season. I don't like working out during the season but during the break I was hitting it hard in the gym and on the practice range," he said, according to an Asian Tour press release.
"I tried to get a little bit stronger in the gym and it is showing because I'm hitting it 10 or 15 yards further this year," said the 24-year-old.
Playing in his third year on the Asian Tour, Fox made a 25-foot chip-in birdie from the edge of the seventh hole to tie for the lead.
"It was one of my goals coming into the year to get off to a good start more frequently. It is nice to kind have done that in the first week. Obviously, you just don't plan on shooting eight-under but it was a nice round," he said.
Hend, who is among 15 Australians in the field, predicts a low-scoring week as he aims to end a three-year title drought.
"I hit good shots and holed my putts. I missed a couple but you can't complain when you shoot an eight-under," he said.
Scores after round 1 of the Zaykabar Myanmar Open being played at the par-72 Royal Mingalardon in Yangon:
64 - Scott Hend (AUS), Ben Fox (USA), Wade Ormsby (AUS)
65 - Chinnarat Phadungsil (THA), Kim Gi-Whan (KOR)
66 - Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Prom Meesawat (THA), Chris Rodgers (ENG) 67 - Baek Seuk-Hyun (KOR), Kodai Ichihara (JPN), Daisuke Maruyama (JPN), Thaworn Wiratchant (THA), Joon Lee (KOR), Martin Rominger (SUI), Simon Griffiths (ENG), Arnond Vongvanij (THA), Rick Kulacz (AUS), Masanori Kobayashi (JPN), Namchok Tantipokhakul (THA)