South Korea's Shin Ji Yai enhanced her reputation as one of Asia's highly talented golfers by shooting a five under-par 67 to take a commanding lead in the first round of the US$100,000 Thailand Ladies Open at the Green Valley Country Club yesterday.

The South Korean, one of the pre-tournament favourites, lived up to her billing by producing a stellar performance with an almost impeccable round, leaving a clutch of high-profile players in her wake.

The longest hitter on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT), Ji Yai, who averages 270 yards off the tee, put her strong point to good use by taming the challenging 6,291-yard course and put herself in the driving seat for her second trophy.

Teeing off from the tenth hole, the 20-year-old played superbly on the front nine, highlighted by an eagle on the 18th hole which left her on 32 at the turn.

Ji Yai's memorable moment came when she nailed an excellent second shot with a 4-iron to six feet from the pin, leaving her with a straight eagle putt. Ji Yai, who won the Orient China Ladies Open last November, remained consistent in her play on the back nine by firing two more birdies against a lone bogey at the 314-yard ninth hole.

"It looked like an easy game for me today. Almost all of my shots from the tee and the fairways were excellent. The best part of my game came from the putter," said Ji Yai.

Having had the experience of playing on the course before, Ji Yai acknowledged that the first-hand knowledge helped her performance.

"I know the course well as I played in the Queen Sirikit tournament here two years ago. But I did not finish well. This time I find the course much more easier," said Ji Yai.

Four strokes off the pace are American Libby Smith and Na Da-ye of South Korea who posted an identical one-under-par 71 to tie for second place.

Bubbling with confidence after her maiden professional triumph in the Hong Kong Ladies Masters last month, Smith maintained her excellent performance to stay in the hunt for back-to-back victories.

After making the turn at even par, the 27-year-old Smith stepped up her challenge on the inward with birdies on the 11th and the 18th holes, consigning her third bogey of the dayat the par-4 15th hole as a minor hiccup.

"I had a pretty good game. Started and ended with a birdie, but unfortunately dropped a stroke each on the second and third holes after finding the water," said Smith, who is lying in second spot in the LAGT Order of Merit behind compatriot Natalie Tuckle.

Smith felt she had benefited from taking time off from the game for a brief vacation the previous week, which not only freshened her up but also helped her adapt to the tropical weather in Thailand.

"My game is up to the mark. Had a short sun, sea, sand holiday in the Philippines after the Hong Kong Ladies Masters then got back to serious practice two weeks before the event," said Smith.

"The long stay in the Philippines and Thailand has helped me get acclimatised to the hot and humid conditions here."

Despite the scorching heat on a sunny day, South Korean Da-ye, who is playing in only her second tournament outside her country, got off to a good start, sinking a birdie in the 370-yard first hole, setting the tone for a relatively good opening round.

The 20-year-old Da-ye, who turned professional in 2005, managed to keep her round going on the front nine, picking up two more birdies on the par-four seventh and ninth holes after making five successive pars.

However, Da-ye's play turned on its head on the back nine as the South Korean, who finished sixth in the tournament's previous edition, suffered a bogey and two double-bogeys before staging a dramatic recovery with three birdies, two from the last three holes to remain in the title race.

Titiya Plucksataporn ensured that local fans had something to cheer about when she opened her campaign with an even-par 72 along with Pei Lin Yu of Taiwan and Chinese Chun Wang in joint fourth place.

The Nation