Vanchai Luangnitikul led a strong Thai charge on Thursday, August 28, at the Mandiri Indonesia Open, firing a seven-under-par 65 to grab the first-round lead at Pondok Indah Golf Course.

The 23-year-old from Phuket, who has honed his game on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) the past two seasons, thrived in calm morning conditions. His round featured just one blemish, a bogey on the par-three eighth, but he immediately bounced back with a birdie on the ninth to finish on top.

“I kept finding the fairways and giving myself birdie chances,” said Luangnitikul, who is playing just his second Asian Tour event since 2022. “I’ve been working hard on the ADT, and I think that experience is paying off this week.”

Thai dominance at the top

Just one shot behind were compatriots Suteepat Prateeptienchai and Tanapat Pichaikool, both carding bogey-free 66s to sit tied for second.

Suteepat’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the first hole. “Everything in my game seemed perfect today,” he said. “The course is in fantastic condition, and hopefully I can keep this going.”

Tanapat, meanwhile, navigated windy afternoon conditions with six birdies. “The wind made it tricky, but I’m happy to finish bogey-free,” said the 25-year-old.

Chasing pack includes Madappa comeback

A group of eight players tied for fourth at 67 included India’s Viraj Madappa, who impressed in his comeback from a long back injury. The 27-year-old, winner of the 2018 Take Solutions Masters, said his time away gave him renewed perspective.

“I realised how much I missed golf,” Madappa said. “Now I’m just playing with gratitude and joy.”

Also at 67 were Americans Micah Shin, MJ Maguire, Austen Truslow, and Charles Porter, along with Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho and Malaysia’s Shahriffuddin Ariffin.

Defending champion Steve Lewton struggled late, carding a triple bogey on the 16th to fall to even-par 72 and tied 75th place.

With Thai golfers dominating the opening day, all eyes will be on whether Luangnitikul can sustain his momentum heading into Friday’s second round.