Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, inspired by a social media clip from PGA Tour star Tom Kim, and China’s Ding Wenyi set the early pace at the US$1 million SJM Macao Open after firing identical seven-under-par 63s to share the first-round lead at Macau Golf & Country Club.

They are one shot clear of Germany’s Dominic Foos and Australia’s Jack Thompson, who both carded 64s in the opening round of the 22nd staging of the Asian Tour event. Korean Sungjae Im, Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, Indian Pukhraj Singh Gill, and China’s Ye Wocheng and Bobby Bai are a further stroke back after posting 65s.

Gunn’s free mindset sparks flawless round

Gunn delivered a bogey-free performance highlighted by an eagle and five birdies. The 33-year-old Thai golfer, who finished second here last year, admitted he entered the tournament needing a spark after an indifferent season. That inspiration came from an unexpected source on social media.

“Very happy with today. Started the day by stumbling on a clip on Instagram from Tom Kim,” Gunn said. “It kind of summarised what he’s been doing the whole of this year. And, you know, practicing a lot does not mean the results are good. So that kind of unlocked something in me, I guess. I’ve been grinding really hard, harder than last year, expecting better results, but it’s not coming. So, I let it all go today, relaxed and then had some lucky breaks out there. I think my mind was more free out there, so I think that’s why I played better golf.”

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Currently 49th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Gunn’s best finish this season was a joint 12th at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Korea. Macau Golf & Country Club wasn’t always his favorite track, but a runner-up finish last year changed his perception.

“Prior to last year, I probably made two cuts, and none of them were above 50th place. I’m very fond of Macau, but maybe the course has been not very friendly to me. Since last year, something has changed and I’ve come to like the course more and more. Hopefully I can do one better,” he added.

Ding overcomes fatigue to shine early

Ding Wenyi impressed despite arriving from the Spanish Open with barely three hours of sleep. The 20-year-old started on the back nine, matching Gunn’s eagle and collecting six birdies with just one dropped shot.

“Honestly, it’s been physically demanding,” Ding said. “I only slept three hours last night. I woke up at 4:50 this morning. I tried to sleep around 9 p.m. yesterday but couldn’t fall asleep until about 1 a.m.”

The Chinese rising star eagled the par-five 18th, his ninth hole, after a four-iron approach to 20 feet, and birdied his last hole to complete a 63. Ding turned pro at the end of last year and has been playing on the DP World Tour; this week marks his first Asian Tour start of the season.

His amateur résumé includes three China Amateur Open titles, a U.S. Junior Amateur win, and a dominant 2024 campaign where he captured the Asia-Pacific Amateur, Amer Ari Invitational, and Southern Amateur titles.

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho opened with a 67, while defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand shot a 68. China’s Haotong Li carded a 70, while England’s Lee Westwood, the 1999 champion, struggled to a 74 — two strokes more than his son Samuel.