Lam steals in at Singapore

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STRUGGLING: Padraig Harrington on his way to shooting 72 today.

PADRAIG Harrington and Phil Mickelson failed to sparkle at the Barclays Singapore Open today allowing local player Lam Chih Bing to hog the limelight in the weather-interrupted opening round.

World No.5 Harrington bogeyed his final hole for a one-over 72, while world No.3 Mickelson opened with an up-and-down 73 at Sentosa Golf Club.

With the big names faltering, Lam took control of the $5 million Asian Tour event with a four-under 67 in soggy conditions.

The 31-year-old teed off on the back nine at the Serapong course and made an excellent start with a birdie on his first hole and three in four just before the turn.

He was four under and three strokes ahead of the field after 13 holes when play was suspended because of a lightning storm.

On resumption two hours and 10 minutes later, he dropped his only shot of the day when he missed a 20-footer for par at the fifth, but a birdie on the eighth put him back on four under to give him the clubhouse lead midway through the opening round.

Australia’s Marcus Both was in second place after firing a three-under 68 that featured four birdies and a lone bogey, with Austria’s Markus Brier, Korea’s Charlie Wi and China’s Zhang Lian-wei a further shot back on two under.

Lam tried to keep his feet firmly on the ground after his opening round.

“It’s just another tournament for me,” said the Singaporean.

“Even though it’s our national open and the biggest tournament on the Asian Tour, I still have to go out there and do my job no matter what.”

Aberdeen’s Paul Lawrie had a nightmare start, with bogeys at the first, fourth and ninth, and double bogey seven at the seventh.