A level par 72 had Paul McGinley trailing eight shots behind the leaders after the opening day of the OneAsia Tour’s Thailand Open.

Unheralded Korean Kim Hyung-tae and Japan’s Yasunori Yoshida (right) made the most of near-perfect conditions on Thursday to shoot eight-under 64s and share a one-stroke lead after the opening round of OneAsia’s U.S. $1 million Thailand Open at Suwan Golf & Country Club.

Early-starter Kim laid down a marker with nine birdies and a bogey to hold the clubhouse lead until late in the afternoon when Yoshida closed with two birdies to match his score.

A shot further back were 2010 champion Liang Wenchong of China, Australians Nick Cullen and David McKenzie, Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang and Thai amateur Natipong Srithong.

Defending champion Andre Stolz, who won last year en-route to clinching the OneAsia Order of Merit title, remains in the hunt after firing a two-under 70 around the immaculate 7,077 yard (6,471 metre) course, on the western outskirts of the Thai capital.