Molinari and Morrison tied for lead after first round of Singapore Open

Edoardo Molinari and James Morrison both shot 9-under 62 Thursday to share the lead after the first round of the Barclays Singapore Open, an event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour.

The tournament, marking its 50th anniversary, is using both the tougher Serapong Course and easier Tanjong Course to accommodate 204 players.

The 30-year-old Molinari, who has won two European Tour events, had six birdies for a 29 on the final nine holes at the Sentosa Golf Club.

“My putting was excellent today,” the Italian said. “I holed everything inside 10 feet.”

Y.E. Yang (63) was in third, one stroke behind, while Japan’s Daisuke Maruyama (64) was fourth. Four others were at 65. Graeme McDowell (68) was six strokes behind the leaders while Phil Mickelson (71) trailed by nine.

Mickelson endured an indifferent opening round on the Tanjong course, mixing four birdies with two bogeys and a double-bogey 6 at the 11th.

Mickelson said Singapore’s hot and humid tropical weather may have helped fuel the day’s low scores.

“I think when it’s warm like this the ball flies straighter and it is easier to play,” he said. “Your muscles feel loose and you swing it much freer and that should equate to lower scores.”

Morrison, a 26-year-old Englishman, carded 10 birdies and just one bogey over the Tanjong Course to draw level with Molinari, who had set the early clubhouse lead.

Reaching the turn 4 under par, Morrison began the back nine with four consecutive birdies before a fine approach at the 15th brought another. His lone blemish of the day came at the par-3 16th when he missed the green from the tee, but he recovered the shot at the next hole.

Molinari, also playing the Tanjong Course, had earlier set the clubhouse mark with a 62 of his own. The Italian collected four birdies and a bogey, at the ninth, to cover the front nine in 3 under par and then turned up the heat coming home. The 30-year-old reeled off six birdies that included three in a row from the 12th and finished in style when a close approach to the par-4 18th garnered a 3 and moved him to 9 under.

"It was a very good round," said Molinari. "I missed a few shots out there but the putting was excellent today, which is probably the first good round of putting that I have had in a while."

En route to his 63, 2009 PGA Champion Yang reached the turn in 32 following two birdies and an eagle, then picked up three more shots before pulling his tee shot on the final hole into the rough down the left. He recovered well, though, and a long birdie putt saw him finish 8 under par.

Maruyama was fourth on 7 under following a 64 containing nine birdies and two bogeys, while South Africa’s Jbe Kruger posted the best round of the day on the more difficult Serapong Course with a 65 to join Lee Sung, Athaphon Prathumanee and Rahil Gangjee on 6 under.

Englishmen Tom Lewis and Oliver Fisher were also well in contention among a large group of players on 5 under.

Lewis picked up five shots through his first 10 holes before giving one back at the 13th, but bounced back at the next with a well-judged chip that led to another birdie.

The 20-year-old spurned a further opportunity at the par-3 16th when he missed a putt from around 15 feet for a two and then found the rough off the tee at the last, but a fine recovery gave Lewis a mid-range birdie putt that slipped just past the hole.

Fisher's day got off to an unfortunate beginning on the Serapong Course with a bogey at the first, but the 23-year-old responded well with an eagle at the seventh and birdie at the eighth. He built on his solid front nine with further birdies at the 11th, 14th and 15th and had a chance for another at the 18th with a putt from off the green that he was unable to sink and settled for an opening 66.

Colin Montgomerie also made an encouraging start with a 67 on the Tanjong Course to sit alongside South African Retief Goosen, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Welshman Jamie Donaldson on 4 under par.

Simon Dyson, Graeme McDowell and Nick Dougherty were all on 3 under while Padraig Harrington and Justin Rose were one shot further back following opening 69s.