First round of Nelson Mandela Championship suspended again after more heavy rain

The first round of the weather-hit Nelson Mandela Championship was suspended for a second time on Thursday.

Tournament organisers had been hoping to catch up after a delayed start on Wednesday but were frustrated by a waterlogged course at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club in Durban and, after more heavy deluges of rain, called an early end to the day's proceedings.

Of the players who did manage to get some play in it was Oliver Bekker who made the biggest move, the South African advancing to six-under through 14 holes to join Frenchmen Edouard Dubois and Romain Wattel in third place after their 64s on day one.

European Tour winner Branden Grace and Darren Fichardt were also going well at four-under when the players came off.

They remained adrift of leader Daniel Brooks, however, the Englishman lighting up day one with a flawless eight-under-par 62 that put him one shot clear of Frenchman Francois Calmels.

Grind

Bekker told the European Tour's website: "You just keep your head down and grind. There's nothing you can do about (the weather).

"If you can get past the mental battle and accept that it's the same for everyone, then I think you've already beaten half of the field.

"I'm actually happy with the delay, to be honest. The weather is brutal out there at the moment and I've got a couple of tough holes coming up.

"The forecast for (Friday) and Saturday is pretty good, so if it clears up we could get a few good rounds in."

Defending champion Scott Jamieson of Scotland was two over after 13 holes of a four-day tournament that was brought forward by a day to a Wednesday start, to avoid a clash with Sunday's funeral of former South African president Mandela.

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Solid starts for Bhullar, Sujjan at Thailand Golf Championship

BANGKOK: Gaganjeet Bhullar missed the final birdie by a whisker but managed to finish sole fourth with a six-under 66 on the opening day of the Thailand Golf Championship on Thursday.

Bhullar had seven birdies and a bogey and was two shots behind leader Czech-born German Alex Cejka, who cracked a flawless eight-under 64 to lead by two.

In between Cejka and Bhullar were US Open champion Justin Rose and young Thai Arnond Vangvanij, who shot 65 each on the first day of the $1 million Asian Tour tournament, which features eight of the world's top-50 players.

There was more good news for Indians as Sujjan Singh, playing on a medical exemption this year, showed he is on his path to recovery with a four-under 68.

Daniel Chopra, another one with Indian connection, carded five-under 67 despite going to the very edge of the water on the 18th. He rolled up his trousers, stepped into the lake and took a shot to come out with a bogey.

While Bhullar and Sujjan were in sizzling form, the rest of the Indian contingent had mixed luck.

Chinnasawmay Muniyappa, also playing on medical exemption shot 71 as did Anirban Lahiri to be tied for 22nd, while Himmat Rai and Abhinav Lohan were even par 72 to be tied 39th.

Jyoti Randhawa (73) at 53rd, Jeev Milkha Singh (74) at 70th and SSP Chowrasia (75) at 92nd would need much better rounds to get into the weekend, while Ajeetesh Sandhu (76), Digvijay Singh (78) and Abhijit Chadha (81) will have to play out of their skins to make the cut.

Starting in the second group from the 10th tee, Bhullar looked set to go to seven-under but the putt on the ninth, his last hole, dodged the cup.

"It ditched me in the end. I thought it would break from left-to-right, but with 54 more holes to go just keep your head down and look for the opportunities," he said.

Bhullar has had a topsy-turvy run this season. He was dead last at the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf in Australia, but won the Indonesia Open the following week. He then missed the halfway cut at the Hong Kong Open last week and now said, "I'm due for a good week."

Bhullar added, "I'm glad that this is the last tournament of the season. This is my 13th straight event. I'm just dying to board the aircraft which is to New Delhi (and then) back home."

Appreciating the chance to play with some world-class names, he said, "We don't get that kind of chance very often, and whenever we do get a chance like at the CIMB (Classic), WGC (HSBC Champions) and this week, and we are all set to beat those guys."

Bhullar expressed satisfaction on his performance and said his putting was consistent on the front nine of the course.

"It was a steady round. I hit about 15 greens in regulation today. I drove the ball really good and hit 14 fairways out of 14. My putting was pretty much consistent on my back nine, which is the golf course's front nine."

On his tiring and punishing schedule, Bhullar said, "I've been working a lot on my physical fitness lately. I've been hitting the gym about three to four times a week. I think that is one of the secrets which has been keeping me along. Mentally, I think it's all in your head."

Sujjan has made a habit of starting events with four-under cards. He did that at Indonesia and Hong Kong, too, but as he admitted with a smile. "They say well begun is half-done, but I seem to miss out after that. I am playing well, but I just need to be more consistent."

Sujjan needs a finish inside top-5 to have an outside chance of making his Asian tour card for 2014 as he is placed way down at 112th place.

"I don't think about that since it is not in my control. I am fine with going back to Q-School if need be. I have done that before."

Currently, Sujjan is tied in sixth place alongside defending champion and the 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia and Mardan Mamat, who at one stage was seven-under before dropping three bogeys in last six holes.

Leader Cejka, who migrated to Germany at nine, has represented his country 11 times and won four times in Europe.

Cejka said, "I've been coming here since late '90s for the Thai Open back then. I've been here for two weeks already. I played Jakarta where I got acclimmatised a little bit. Hong Kong was a great temperature, so I'm here already three weeks. I like it."

He added, "I like it here. (After the tournament), I'm going to Phuket with my wife and just relax and get a good tan hopefully."

Rose, who has had a Major win and 11 top-10s around the world, said, "It was an early alarm call this morning at 4.30. Didn't enjoy that part but once I got out here to the golf course it was a perfect morning for golf, nice and cool to start with."

"It was the type of morning you wanted to capitalise on. My caddie did a really good job walking the course on Tuesday and told me the lines, and then in the Pro Am yesterday, I felt like I made enough birdies to feel comfortable with the conditions."

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Newsmaker of the Year No. 9: Jordan Spieth

Of course there were fleeting moments of anxiety.

Jordan Spieth had flamed out of Q-School’s second stage, and – for a few weeks, at least – he was just another newly minted pro with no status on any major tour, a 19-year-old trying to figure out a schedule, write notes to tournament directors, settle on a management team and explore his sponsorship options … all of this mere days after completing his finals in English and Rhetoric at the University of Texas.

“There was maybe a little bit of fear that crept in,” he said last week. “That, hey, I’m going to need to make the most of these starts when they come.”

Fast-forward eight months, and Spieth was on board a private jet, hands still trembling, trying in vain to fall asleep. Earlier that day he had holed an improbable bunker shot on the 72nd hole and won the John Deere Classic in a playoff. Now, he was en route to Scotland, to the British Open, and on the long flight he braced himself for the myriad ways his life was about to change.

After all, Jordan Spieth was no stranger to exceeding expectations – he once shot 62 as a 12-year-old. He was the No. 1-ranked junior in the star-studded Class of 2015. He joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win multiple U.S. Junior titles. In his lone full season at Texas, Spieth won three times and helped the Longhorns capture their first national title in 40 years. At the NCAA Championship, he holed a 4-iron shot on the 15th hole at Riviera to secure a crucial point. At the 2011 Walker Cup, he was the leading point-getter for an American team that featured, among others, Peter Uihlein, Harris English and world No. 1 amateurs Patrick Cantlay and Chris Williams.

With that background, sure, he was trending toward greatness, but few could have predicted that Spieth would script the best rookie season since Tiger in ’96. In 12 short months, he went from making his first start of the year at Torrey Pines (only because of a late sponsor exemption) to teeing it up at Tiger’s 18-man cash-grab at Sherwood.

In between, he became the first teen to win a Tour event in more than 80 years, racked up three runners-up, six other top 10s and nearly $4 million in earnings.

In between, he became the first player since Woods to begin the year with no status and reach the Tour Championship (where he tied for second), and the youngest ever to represent the U.S. at the Presidents Cup.

In between, he became one of Camp Ponte Vedra’s media darlings, filmed commercials for Under Armour, and played Pine Valley and Augusta National in the same day.

In between, he became a crowd favorite, the Next Big Thing, and the envy (and inspiration) of college kids everywhere who hope their career trajectory will follow a similar path.

Ask Spieth, of course, and he’ll claim that his breakthrough 2013 was simply the product of good luck, that three fortunate hole-outs fueled his meteoric rise to No. 22 in the world rankings.

First there was the hole-in-one at the Puerto Rico Open. That third-round ace propelled him into contention at the opposite-field event, and he eventually finished one shot behind. The T-2 finish, however, got him into the next week’s tournament, which is no small consolation for a player trying to find his way.

Similar magic ensued the following week at the Tampa Bay Championship, where he again found himself in the mix on the final day. Needing to play the final two holes in 1 under to post another top-1o finish, Spieth holed a flop shot from a near-impossible spot on 17 to finish joint seventh and essentially lock up special temporary status on Tour for the remainder of the season.

No shot, however, was as spectacular – or as meaningful – as his bunker shot on the 72nd hole at the John Deere. It thrust him into a three-man playoff with Zach Johnson and David Hearn, and Spieth eventually prevailed on the fifth extra hole. He became the first teen to win on Tour since Ralph Guldahl in 1931, and the win gave him a two-year exemption, a spot in the following week’s Open, a date next April at the Masters and, not least, instant fame.

“It was funny looking back and noticing how many times I holed out where it was really important,” he said last week. “A lot of it required luck, so sometimes it’s better to be lucky.”

From Q-School flameout to competing with golf royalty? Sorry, Jordan, but that required a bit more than luck.

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Thomas Bjorn rallies with 2 eagles for 65, wins Nedbank Challenge by 2 shots at Sun City

SUN CITY, South Africa — Thomas Bjorn had two eagles in his last nine holes, one brilliant and one a bit lucky, to finish with a 7-under 65 and win the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Sunday.

Overnight leader Jamie Donaldson of Wales lost his three-shot advantage in a final-round 70 and tied for second with Sergio Garcia (65).

Bjorn's victory was hailed by fans in the galleries on No. 18, waving streams of South African flags in late afternoon sunshine on a day dedicated in the country to prayer and reflection following the death of former President Nelson Mandela.

Bjorn's 5-iron into No. 10 set up the first eagle to move past Donaldson. The Dane had his second on No. 14 after his approach hit a bunker and rolled up onto the green.

"They were two big moments," Bjorn said. "Obviously, having two eagles on the back nine on a Sunday doesn't happen very often. The shot into 14 was a bit fortunate, but that's what happens when you win golf tournaments, I guess."

The $1.25 million winner's check at Sun City marks the 42-year-old Bjorn's biggest prize and his 15th European Tour title.

Tournament members stood for a rendition of the South African anthem at the end of the event.

"I think to the whole world, he was just an inspiration to human beings. He was a great man," Bjorn said of Mandela at the trophy presentation. "To see what one man can do, it's an inspiration to all of us. If we all just did a bit more, this world would be a better place."

Donaldson was attempting to become the first debut winner at Sun City since Zimbabwe's Mark McNulty in 1986. But he bogeyed No. 9 and couldn't make any more birdies until No. 17.

Garcia dropped a shot on No. 16 after a run of four straight birdies at the end of his front nine, allowing Bjorn to bogey the last at Gary Player Country Club and still win.

FedEx Cup and European money list winner Henrik Stenson was fourth after his 67 in the No. 3-ranked Swede's first tournament back since ending last season as the world's best player.

Brendon de Jonge (66) was fifth and Charl Schwartzel (66) finished sixth, the highest placed South African. Ryan Moore of the United States, another Sun City rookie, was in contention through three rounds before a 73 on Sunday led to a tie for seventh with U.S. Open champion Justin Rose.

Home favorite and three-time champion Ernie Els had to deal with news of Mandela's passing on Thursday and the death of his former psychological coach on Saturday. He finished with a second straight 77 and second from last in the expanded 30-man field.

This is the first year the Nedbank has been part of the European Tour's schedule.

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Tim O'Neal seeks PGA Tour dream

Tim O'Neal doesn't travel to golf tournaments with one of the big staff bags that players use on the PGA Tour. The 41-year-old native of Savannah, Ga., can't afford the extra fees that many airlines charge for overweight baggage.

Bridgestone, his club manufacturer, wanted him to tote a new staff bag for this week's Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, which begins Thursday at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., but O'Neal is sticking with his lightweight carry bag for the six-round, 108-hole marathon..

He scoured the Internet until he found the best hotel rate for his 10-night stay in the Palm Springs area. And rather than hire a tour caddie for the week for about $2,500, he brought along a friend from home to perform the task.

O'Neal is not completely desperate, but frugality is a means of survival in a sport that's difficult to thrive in without substantial financial backing from either individuals or corporate sponsors.

The greatest pressure in the game, many players say, isn't often the putt to win the tournament, but the one that could make a difference in meeting the mortgage or putting gas in the car to reach the next event.

On the PGA Tour's Latin American series this year, O'Neal earned $90,015. His third-place finish on the money list got him a spot in this week's Q-school finals and conditional status on the Web.com Tour. A 45th-place finish or better at PGA West would give him better status and a chance to play a full schedule.

"I might have made $90,000 in Latin America," said O'Neal, who has not had a sponsor in more than 10 years, "but I have probably spent at least half of that on travel, hotels and entry fees, and I still have bills at home. So I didn't really make much money."

As a child, he loved golf for the sheer joy of hitting shots and for the competition. As an adult, the game suddenly became the means to support his family and a tough business as an independent contractor.

"It's really hard to play without a sponsor," said O'Neal, who was sponsored by actor Will Smith for two years early in his pro career. "I'm not complaining, but people ask me all the time why there are not more African-Americans on tour and a part of the reason is that there is no money.

"Golf is one of one of those sports where if you don't have any kind of financial backing, you can't play."

Q-school represents hope on his arduous journey. Come the start of the Web.com season in 2014, O'Neal should have a few sponsorships to lessen the burden of playing well simply to help pay his bills.

"That's what makes it tough, when you're trying to make ends meet and you don't play well," said O'Neal, who turned pro in 1997. "My wife has worked. So that's taken the pressure off at times. But it's never easy."

To O'Neal, earning a PGA Tour card is not the most important thing. His wife and two young children are the center of his life. Yet for close to 20 years, he has been consumed with this quest to reach the game's most elite circuit. And when the opportunity to reach golf's big leagues comes around every year, it's a keen reminder of an unfulfilled dream.

For the first time in the 48-year history of the qualifying tournament, golfers like O'Neal won't have a chance to make it directly from this event to the big tour. Now, instead of 25 regular tour cards awarded at Q-school, the finalists will earn membership exclusively on the Web.com Tour.

"It's the system that's in place now," O'Neal concedes. "So unless you get some exemptions into some regular tour events and play well, it's the only way to get out there. It's just another way to prove yourself and get to the show.

"But I don't like it where you can't get to the tour directly from Q-school anymore. Even if they had five spots, that's better than not having any."

The life of a penny-pinching journeyman was not in O'Neal's sights as he stood on the 18th hole of the Nicklaus Tournament Course on the last day of the 2000 Q-school finals at PGA West. All the former Jackson State golfer needed was a bogey on that final hole to secure his card. Instead, he hit his tee shot into a hazard and made a triple-bogey to miss earning his card by 2 shots.

Never mind that he walked to that final tee thinking that he needed birdie to get his card or that many in the golf world were rooting for him because they wanted to see another African-American on the PGA Tour.

O'Neal soldiered on and had a few good years on the Web.com Tour. Since dropping off that tour after a poor 2008 season, he has done short stints on the Asian Tour, the European Professional Development Tour in Morocco and the eGolf Tour in the U.S. In 2011, he stopped playing competitively to work as a swing instructor.

Most who attempt a life as a pro golfer will fail. And many of them will likely leave the game or seek a job as a swing instructor or club professional.

O'Neal's coach at Jackson State, Eddie Payton, has tried to persuade his program's greatest recruit to come back to his alma mater and take over the men's golf team. But the former Georgia State Amateur champion, the first African-American to win that title, is committed to seeing his plan through to play the big tour.

The PGA Tour's Latin America series, which was formed in 2012 with 11 tournaments, has helped O'Neal resuscitate these aspirations.

In April at the Roberto De Vicenzo Invitational in Uruguay, he lost in a three-way playoff. The next week, he won in Colombia. In his final three starts of the year before heading home to Savannah for Thanksgiving, he had a tie for third, a fourth and a win in Chile, which guaranteed him status on the Web.com Tour.

O'Neal has matured mightily since blowing his first chance in the Q-school finals in 2000.

"I'm definitely stronger mentally," he said. "That's been one of the main things that's changed. A lot of that comes with age."

O'Neal, who is making his fourth trip to Q-school finals -- all at PGA West -- isn't yielding anything to age or lost time.

"The golf ball doesn't know how old I am," he said. "I think I'm playing some of the best golf that I have ever played. I'm in pretty good shape for my age. It's just a matter of getting it into the hole.

"Deep down inside I know that I have the game to play the PGA Tour. That's what's really kept me going. If I thought I couldn't do it, I probably wouldn't have worked so hard. The belief is there. That's why I am where I am now."

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Greg Norman on Tiger Woods: 'I probably would have beat him' in my prime

A young Greg Norman vs. a young Tiger Woods? Norman would have liked his chances.

Early in a lengthy first-person article for Golf.com, Norman said he'd have been a handful for the all-time greats, including Woods:

A lot of people ask how I'd stack up against today's players if I had use of modern equipment. Listen, it's not about the gear. Winning is about what's in your heart and in your head. Equipment dictates how to play the game in an era, but the physical and mental skills are the same. And I had them. I never feared anything or anyone on the course, and I wasn't afraid to fail. So I think I'd do pretty well against Snead, Hogan, Tiger and Phil -- whoever. Tiger's a tough guy, but I was a tough guy on the course, too. I probably would have beat him.

Norman, now 58, might be fearless on the course, but he's mostly known, right or wrong, for failing in majors. He has claimed just two Grand Slam victories, both at the British Open, and his stumbles at the Masters have become the stuff of legend.

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Golf coach charged with 65 counts of paedophilia

A report in the Daily Mail this morning reveals how a top youth golf coach in San Francisco has been arrested on his own course and charged with 65 counts of paedophilia after allegedly assaulting two male students over a three-year period.

It's understood one of the students was as young as 12.

Andrew Nisbet, 31, who is married, tutored students at Las Positas GC in Livermore and was arrested on Saturday, just hours before he was due to receive a coveted PGA award for coach of the year at Contra Costa CC.

The 49-page complaint filed on Tuesday by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office said Nisbet, who also operates the GRIP Junior Golf Academy which has 175 students, is accused of performing oral sex on his victims in his car from December 2009 through March 2012 and showing them pornography on his phone.

The complaint also alleges that other sex acts were committed by Nisbet in the golf clubs parking lot and during out-of-town golfing excursions.

Livermore Police officer Steve Goard said authorities became aware of the allegations when one of Nisbet's golf students reported that he was abused in November.

'He befriended them as the cool coach, gave them rides to and from practice and bought them gifts, including top-of-the-line golf equipment,' Goard said to the San Jose Mercury News.

'He created a coach-athlete bond and, as he did, was figuring out who he could get away with it with.'

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Tough golf season reaches end at Thailand Golf Championship

The professional golf calendar will finally come to an end after this week’s Thailand Golf Championship on the Asian Tour and the Nelson Mandela Championship on the European and Sunshine Tours.

Never before in my career have I ever said this, but I am glad the long season is finally over and, while I am looking forward to competing in Thailand this week, the thought of being able to pack my clubs for a couple of weeks after that is a very appealing one.

Everyone who knows me also knows that I don’t mind playing 53 weeks a year, if that was possible. But perhaps age is catching up with me, or perhaps I am extremely frustrated how the whole year was completely ruined for me by injuries. But yes, 2013 is thankfully coming to an end and I cannot wait for the new season to begin.

However, before all the R&R, I have a very important tournament to focus on this week — the Thai Golf Championship. It’s definitely one of the highlights of the Asian Tour season and the organisers somehow manage to attract an outstanding field even this late in the year. So, we have stars like Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, defending champion Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler featuring this week.

What a field of this quality does is increase the world ranking points on offer manifold, and also increase the prestige value associated with the tournament. Winning would be fantastic, but what most players would dearly want is a good end to the season. Of course, you cannot change the feelings about a whole season with just one round, but it makes a massive difference psychologically to finish the year with a 67, compared to a 76.

Henrik and Justin are two of the top ranked stars in Chonburi this week, and both are coming off a good tournament in Sun City. However, the way Charl has performed in this tournament in the past couple of years, it is clear that the Amata Springs course suits his eyes very well and he will begin as the pre-tournament favourite.

In the inaugural year, Charl finished second to a rampant Lee Westwood by seven shots, but there was no denying him last year, when he almost lapped the field and won by 11 shots over Bubba.

In South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Championship is being played, and obviously, it is going to be an emotional affair given that the great man passed away only last week. I never had the good fortune of meeting him, but I have read and heard millions of stories about him and I have the greatest regards for what he managed to achieve in his life and what he managed to do for his people. RIP Madiba.

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Nelson Mandela Championship: Daniel Brooks leads in Durban

Englishman Daniel Brooks shot a flawless eight-under-par 62 to claim a one-shot lead at the rain-affected Nelson Mandela Championship.

Play was delayed for nearly seven hours at Durban's Mount Edgecombe course on Wednesday due to a water-logged course, but when the players finally did get to start their first rounds, there were plenty of birdies on offer.

Brooks, who had to return to Q-School last month after a disappointing rookie campaign in 2013, made four birdies in the space of five holes and eight in all to lead by one over Frenchman Francois Calmels.

Two more men from France, Edouard Dubois and Romain Wattel, share third place on six under.

More than half the field are yet to complete their first rounds, but Brooks was more than pleased with his early gains.

Long day

"It's been a long day," said Brooks. "I was completely focused on getting to the 18th tee box when we got called in. That probably helped, in a way, because I just kept playing and the result was good.

"I pretty much holed everything I looked at, which was quite nice," he added. "I haven't putted that great over the last couple of weeks, so to hole a few was pretty nice."

Second-placed Calmels, meanwhile, is fresh off a victory at an event in Mauritius last week.

"It was a great week for me," said the Challenge Tour graduate. "I made a great last round 65 to win by one over Hennie [Otto], and that give me quite a bit of self-confidence.

"I know I'm playing well, and the great round today was just perfect."

With the round incomplete, first round play will resume at 6am, with the second round scheduled to get underway at 10.50am as organisers battle to get play back on schedule.

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Cejka claims Amata Springs lead

Germany's Alex  fired a magnificent eight-under-par 64 to lead by one-shot from world number four Justin Rose of England and local hope Arnond Vongvanij after the first round of the Thailand Golf Championship on Thursday.

The widely-travelled Cejka, who has 10 career wins but not since 2002, was in irrepressible form at the Amata Spring Country Club, firing eight birdies for an unblemished card in the US$1 million full-field Asian Tour tournament.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Rose marked his debut in the star-laden event with a 65 which was matched by Arnond, who fired nine birdies against two bogeys on a day of low scoring.

India's Gaganjeet Bhullar carded a 66 for fourth place while Swede Daniel Chopra enjoyed five birdies in a row en route to a 67. Title holder Charl Schwartzel of South Africa signed for a 68, as did Spanish Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia, Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat and India's Sujjan Singh.

World number three Henrik Stenson of Sweden, 2012 Masters Tournament champion Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler of the United States opened their campaigns with matching 70s in the tournament featuring eight players from the world's top-10 and offering a whopping 38 Official World Golf Ranking points to the winner.

The 43-year-old Cejka was delighted to upstage the stars on his first wedding anniversary with his wife, Alyssa. "Nice to shoot a good score on a good day," said the German, who got married on the Thai holiday isle of Phuket.

"Last week I played a little bit better (finishing tied 12th in Hong Kong), and so far the form continues. We've got three more days to go. I feel good. Nothing's easy. It's a great field and it's a challenging course where you can shoot five-under but you can also shoot six-over here if you don't drive it well or if you're a little bit unlucky.

"You've got to keep grinding. I cannot sit back and just play for pars. I've got to just play the same golf I've been playing, and hopefully I make a couple putts or I don't make stupid mistakes. It's a long way to go and again, there're a lot of great players in the field."

Rose was in total control of his game as he kept the bogeys off the card, sinking seven birdies to set the pace in the morning before Cejka's fireworks in the afternoon session.

"It was an early alarm call this morning at 4.30. Didn't enjoy that part but once I got out here to the golf course it was a perfect morning for golf, and the type of morning you wanted to capitalise on," said Rose, who has enjoyed 11 other top-10s around the world to go with his Major triumph.

"I feel like I'm reading the greens well. The greens are rolling true. I feel like I've got a good eye, good read for the greens, so that helps. Obviously, I got off to a great start. Who knows what the winning score will be, but you've just got to play one shot at a time, one hole at a time

"My putting felt very sharp, especially for the first 12 or 13 holes. But also, you have to stay out of the rough. If you do hit the driver poorly, you are going to struggle," he added.

Playing on his home course, the pint-sized Arnond outscored his playing partners Garcia and Fowler with a hot putter, needing only 23 putts. "Just from being out here quite a bit, I know what the green does," said Arnond, who turns 25 on Sunday.

"The last few weeks I've been rolling the putter well but I haven't pieced it all together. Some weeks I will hit it well and it will not go in and it's been frustrating. I'm happy to see it finally come together."

Bhullar, who won the Indonesia Open for his fifth Asian Tour title two weeks ago, used a strong driving display where he hit all but one fairway en route to seven birdies against a lone bogey. It was his best round at Amata Spring after finishing 58th and 31st in the first two editions of the Thailand Golf Championship.

"This is the first time I'm enjoying a bit of the low 60s. There was a margin of improvement but three more days to work on, and I think it's a great opportunity for the Asian Tour players to compete against the big names," said the 25-year-old, who is currently fourth on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. "It was a steady round. I hit about 15 greens in regulation and drove the ball really good."

The dashing Bhullar has had a topsy turvy run of form of late. After finishing last at the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf in Australia, he went on to win in Indonesia in the following week and then missed the halfway cut at the Hong Kong Open last week.

"I'm due for a good week," he smiled. "(But) I'm glad that this is the last tournament of the season. This is my 13th straight event. I'm just dying to board the aircraft which is to New Delhi back home."

An in-form Schwartzel, who has won once and enjoyed two other top-10s in his last three starts, was disappointed he dropped two shots with three-putt bogeys.

"Yeah, felt like I hit the ball pretty decent. Just the putting let me down. But those are not major problems. I've been putting well for quite a long time. If I can keep hitting the ball decent and give myself chances, go work on the putting a bit, it's a decent start. It's in red numbers and it's a long way to go," said the world number 17.

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Hull to make use of LPGA invites

Newly-crowned LET Rookie of the Year Charley Hull says she plans to divide her time between the Europe and USA in the coming season.

The 17-year-old Englishwoman says she does not have a LPGA Tour card, but will make full use of the invitations she's received.

"I didn't go to LPGA Qualifying School, but I've got six or seven invites," she told the BBC.

"It'll be half and half on each Tour. I don't want to go straight to America.

"I'm already in a few of the majors, but I don't want to ruin my childhood - I still want to see my mates."

Hull has enjoyed a successful debut season on the Ladies European Tour, with five runner-up finishes (though a win just eluded her) and a successful showing as part of Europe's victorious Solheim Cup team.

She has also been nominated for the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

"It's been a really good season and to win Rookie of the Year tops it all off," she added.

"It's an honour to be nominated for Young Sports Personality. That event should be a lot of fun.

"Next year, I just want to get that (first) win and then I'll be super happy."

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