Murakami shoots 68, trails Lu by one stroke

TAIPEI—Artemio Murakami shot a strong opening round for once, assembling a 4-under-par 68 to trail Chinese Taipei veteran and leader Lu Wen-teh by one stroke at the inaugural Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) Thursday. The burly 25-year-old Filipino, the winner of this year’s Asian Tour qualifying in Thailand, birdied three of his first four holes and sustained his brilliant start with nines of 34-34 at the Linkou International Golf Club. “I just kept my focus today, playing each shot at a time. I’m quite relieve with my score today as I’ve been struggling in my opening rounds and I always return on the second day trying to make the cut,” said Murakami. “It’s easy to make mistakes on this golf course and I really have to stay patient and play my own game,” added  Murakami, who was tied with Thailand’s Tannin Kwanchai, Japan’s Kawane Takafumi, Malaysia’s Iain Steel and Australia’s David Gleeson. The 47-year-old Lu, a five-time Asian Tour winner, gunned down six birdies against a lone bogey for his 67 in the $300,000 full field Asian Tour event. None of the 10 other Filipinos broke par with Juvic Pagunsan, Angelo Que and Antonio Lascuña matching the projected cutline score of 73. Gene Bondoc carded a 75, Gerald Rosales and Omar Dungca shot 76s, Michael Bibat had a 77, Jay Bayron a 78, Ferdinand Aunzo a 79 and Marvin Dumandan an 80. Murakami, winner of the Iskandar Johor Open in 2007, took the first leg of the Mercedes-Benz Asean Tour at the Manila Southwoods early this year, but has struggled since. This time, however, he opened with birdies on the first, third and fourth holes, bogeyed the seventh then picked up two more birdies on the 13th and 15th. Murakami, whose best finish on the Asian Tour was a tie for 12th in the SAIL Open in New Delhi last April, said   he has to keep his focus to stay in contention for a second Tour crown.