Uihlein leads in Thailand

Peter Uihlein will take a one-shot lead into round two of the True Thailand Classic after carding an eight-under par round of 64.

The American star secured nine birdies and fluffed his lines just once as he made a superb start in his quest for a second European Tour title.

The 26-year-old is one clear of Sweden’s Pelle Edberg, who made nine birdies and two bogeys, while Javier Como of Spain and Scotland’s Scot Jamieson share third place on -6 after the first 18 holes.

Five-under par was a popular score, with nine players sharing that mark including English duo Gary Boyd and Robert Dinwiddie while Welshman Rhys Davies also signed for a 67 at Black Mountain Golf Club.

But Uihlein is the man they will all be chasing on Friday and the Florida resident admitted that his expectations were low after taking a week in the sun to relax.

“Last week I had a nice vacation and didn’t touch a club, which was nice,” he told European Tour Radio. “You come up here with a clean slate and a fresh start.

“I hit it so badly on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so I was kind of bummed. So it’s nice to do this today. Once the tournament got going, I just relaxed. I putted well and the putter is still hot, which is nice.”