Chantananuwat, known as ‘TK’ and already a winner on the Asian Tour despite still being just 15 years of age, described his round as a “disappointing 67” where putts failed to drop for the highest ranked player in the field.

“My putting was disappointing. I hit so many good iron shots today. So I’m disappointed,” the Thai said. “The ball-striking today was the standard I’ve been at for the last three weeks. This is not something I am overly excited about. I just didn’t make any putts.”

Looking every bit the seasoned pro covered in logos and twirling clubs with regularity on Thursday during his bogey free round, Chantananuwat was headed to the practice green as the light faded in the hopes of chasing down China’s Jin.

“Bo Jin shot an amazing seven-under. You can’t really run away from a score like that. Two behind is okay. I’ve played in pro events. You don’t win on the first day,” he said.

It wasn't the best day on the greens for Chantananuwat who still is just two shots back. PHOTO: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

“My putting is usually on point. It’s just case of whether they go in or not. But today it was a bit below average. Which is probably the result of me not having a proper practice session in the past three weeks. Because of school and travelling. I’ve been in two other countries in the last 14 days … I’m going to hit 300 putts tonight.”

Jin was probably not too fussed about getting in some practice before the sun went down after a very tidy round following a bogey at the short par-4 1st.

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The 20-year-old brother of 2015 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Cheng birdieing the 2nd, 4th and 7th to turn in two-under. A birdie-eagle start to the back nine seeing him pull alongside Leow, who was comfortably in the clubhouse having lunch with transplanted Aussie Matt Ballard, now the national coach of Singapore.

“I am pleased. It is hard not to be. I did everything well. Drove it great. Putted great. Approach shots were pretty good too. Everything pretty much went my way,” Jin told assembled reporters after the round.

A chip-in for birdie at the 15th took him to the lead on his own, then another at the island green par-3 17th put the third place getter from 2021 in prime position to follow in his familial footsteps.

“My brother taught me a lot. I wouldn’t be here without him. He is a great player,” he said of the relationship with Cheng who won over 54-holes in Hong Kong. “So it is more of a pretty good friendship more than a rivalry. He was so helpful to me.”

Leow was another of the highly touted players leading into the week after an impressive college career at Arizona State University and having gone close recently to earning a Korn Ferry Tour card at qualifying school.

RIGHT: Singapore's James Leow shares second at five-under. PHOTO: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

He made just one bogey on the day at the difficult par-3 8th having started from the 10th tee, and admitted he didn’t feel he had close to his best golf from tee-to-green during round one.

“I mean, even though I wasn't hitting really close to some pins, some holes, I was making a lot of putts from like anything maybe outside 10, 15, 20 feet, and that was a big confidence booster, because the greens are not big to hit it to and pins were tucked on some holes, so it was a great feeling,” Leow said.

Three players share low Aussie honours through round one, with Harrison Crowe, Joshua Greer and Karl Vilips all four back of Jin on three-under and sharing 13th.

Vilips echoing a similar story to Chantananuwat of struggles on the greens, while Crowe bogeyed his last hole of the day the 9th but was feeling positive having struggled with his game through the middle of the year after winning the NSW Amateur, Master of the Amateurs and NSW Open at home last summer.

“Pretty pleased with how I played today, it was pretty solid. Didn’t do a whole lot wrong, wasn’t spectacular, but I took my chances when I had them and limited mistakes,” the 21-year-old said.

Next best of the seven Australian’s is our top-ranked Connor McKinney on one-under, while Jeffrey Guan and Hayden Hopewell sit on even par.