HONG KONG: New Zealander Mark Brown made a late charge to top the first round leader board at the Hong Kong Open Thursday, recording an eight-under par 62 to lead by one shot from two-time runner-up Rory McIlroy. Brown surge late at the Fanling course to overhaul early leader McIlroy, who had impressed in benign conditions in the morning to fire a 63, leaving him well placed to go one better than his second-place finishes in 2008 and 2009. McIlroy was joined in second place by India's Jeev Milkha Singh with Englishman Simon Dyson and Denmark's Soren Hansen in a tie for fourth. US Open champion Graeme McDowell was a shot further back with five others on five-under par in a tie for sixth. “Kind of a bit of a surprise after my form over the last two months, but a good surprise,” said Brown after a bogey-free round laced with eight birdies. “It's the sort of course that gives you a lot of chances as long as you hit it in the fairway. I just tried to get the ball in play. Don't hit a lot of drivers, which probably suits me the way I've been hitting my driver lately.” McIlroy also racked up eight birdies during his round but dropped a shot at the par-four sixth – his 15th hole of the day after starting at the ninth – to be in a prime position to finally get his first European Tour win of the season. “The conditions are perfect for scoring,” said the 21-year-old Northern Irishman. “There wasn't any wind and when the greens are that good in the morning you can take advantage of it and that is what I was able to do today. McIlroy said “you always feel you can do better”, pointing to a misread chip on the third and going into the trees on six. On a day of low scoring in the joint European and Asian Tour event, 80 players went below par. It was Dyson who claimed clubhouse bragging rights, getting a hold in one at the par-three 11th en route to a round of 64 that left him tied for fourth. The previous hole, he had chipped in from off the green. “That was a nice start and then it got even better at the next,” Dyson said. “Perfect yardage, no wind, perfect wedge, straight down the flag, pitched it to about a foot short and just rolled out and dropped in the hole. Couldn't have asked for a better start.” Ian Poulter had a 67 to be five shots off the lead, while major winners YE Yang and John Daly had a 68 and 69 respectively. Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez was among the few to go above par, shooting a triple-bogey seven on the 18th to finish with a 72.
