Richardson takes commanding lead with 9-under 63 at Thai Senior Tour

British golf veteran Matthew Richardson blazed through the opening round of the SAT-NSDF-Thai Senior Tour, carding a stunning 9-under-par 63 to take a commanding lead at Alpine Golf Resort Chiang Mai.

The 64-year-old, who has called Phuket home for over 20 years, got off to a hot start. Despite a water hazard on the par-4 11th, he managed to save par before bouncing back with a spectacular eagle on the 12th. He followed that up with three consecutive birdies, phenomenally completing his front nine. On the back nine, Richardson dropped just one bogey while adding four more birdies to secure his impressive final score.

After the round, Richardson called it the best score of his career and gave full credit to his girlfriend, who was caddying for him. "It was a superb day," he said. "I have to give all the credit to my girlfriend. She was caddying for me and helped me stay focused, especially after I made a mistake and got a bogey."

Tied for second place are Thai veterans Chawalit Plaphol and Udon Duangdecha, both finishing with a solid 6-under-par 66 and no bogeys. Plaphol expressed that he played according to his plan, while Duangdecha admitted to struggling with the weather but was able to maintain control of his game.

Rounding out the leaderboard, Zaw Mow from Myanmar is in fourth place with a 5-under-par 67. Thanet Saengsuy sits in fifth with a 4-under-par 68. Meanwhile, local favourite and Pro-Am champion Thanawin Somsri finished with a 1-under-par 71, placing him in a tie for 11th.

The 54-hole tournament continues for two more days, with the field being cut to the top 60 players and ties after the second round to compete for the 2 million baht prize purse.