Atiruj Winaicharoenchai stayed steady in blustery conditions at Taiwan Golf & Country Club on Thursday, carding a five-under-par 67 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the US$1 million Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

The 25-year-old Thai golfer rolled in five birdies and an eagle to top the leaderboard, despite a closing bogey on the 18th hole. Compatriot Jazz Janewattanond, the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, sits one stroke behind after a 68.

Only eight players broke par on a demanding course where winds gusted up to 40 km/h. American rookie George Kneiser and Japan’s Yuta Yoshikuwa are two shots back after rounds of 70.

Thais hold top two spots in Taiwan

Atiruj caught fire with four straight birdies from holes five through eight and later eagled the par-five 15th. He said careful timing on short putts was key to surviving the wind.

“The key was that I took advantage of all four par-fives on the course,” he said. “The eagle on 15 was lucky because I was just trying to two-putt. The wind was so strong I had to wait for the right moment on the short putts.”

Jazz, 29, overcame an early bogey on the third hole by making six birdies, four of them in a six-hole stretch on the back nine. The six-time Asian Tour winner admitted his recent form was inconsistent but welcomed the strong start.

“I surprised myself with the way I played today,” Jazz said. “The golf course is playing really tough because of the wind. I just wanted to shoot under par, and I did that.”

Kneiser, veterans among early contenders

Kneiser, 27, who qualified for this year’s U.S. Open, chipped in twice for birdies on holes 12 and 18 to close with a two-under 70. “I thought par would be a good score, so to come away with a couple under is a great feeling,” he said.

Former Order of Merit champion Scott Hend of Australia, Thais Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Itthipat Buranatanyarat, and France’s Joel Stalter were all at even-par 71, tied for fifth place.

This marks the 39th edition of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, a fixture on the Asian Tour since 2000. Historically, winning scores in double digits under par have been rare, underscoring the difficulty of the course.