Scotland’s David Drysdale superbly bounced back from two early hiccups to get among the birdies on the opening day of the Hong Kong Open.

‘Double D’ was one-under, and well down the board, heading to his back nine but then put foot down to birdie the 10th ahead of birdies also at 13 and 14 in a respectable two-under-par 68.

It left him sharing 36th place and among some 69 players under par in the 67th hosting of the premier Asian Tour event.

Scotland’s David Drysdale

Drysdale is no stranger to the host course first teeing-up in 2010 under the co-sanctioned Asian Tour/European Tour, and then recording his best finish of T5th in late 2018.  It is also a second time this year, the Asian Tour rookie has played the Hong Kong course after sharing ninth place in the inaugural World City Championship.

Aussie Cam Smith brilliantly birdied five of seven closing holes in a blistering seven-under 63 to be sharing the lead with Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, and with the pair one clear of the field.

Smith’s effort, and in his first appearance in the premier Asian Tour event in nine-years, has him tied for the lead with

Chacarra matched Smith’s effort also with five birdies over his inward nine.

Smith last contested the Hong Kong Open in 2014 which was his maiden rookie season and finished a very respectable ninth.

The 2022 Open Champion opened with back-to-back birdies at the first and second holes before the hiccup of a bogey at the par-5 third hole but produced four straight pars before a birdie at the eighth hole ahead of his superb run of birdies at 12 and then four birdie ‘3s’ in succession from the 14th, and much to the delight of a great first day crowd flocking to the historic course.

“Played really solid,” Smith said. “Was able to put in some good work the first few days while I was here. It worked out today.

“The course is very refreshing. It’s nice not having to slug your driver on every hole, and actually having to figure some stuff out. It was tricky out there today, a little gusty. It’s a cool track. It’s one of my favourites and hopefully we get any rain.”

Smith is also the highest world ranked player in the field currently lying at No. 20 in the world though teeing-up in only a sixth ‘official’ World Ranking tournament this year, and this due to his LIV Golf membership.