Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts moved into an early share of the lead as the Maybank Malaysian Open began in Kuala Lumpur.
The 31 year old Belgian carded five birdies and two bogeys in an outward 33 to join Japan’s Masanori Kobayashi and Italy’s Marco Crespi on three under par.
Starting at the tenth, Colsaerts picked up shots at the tenth, 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th as he chases a first European Tour title since taking the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship before making his Ryder Cup debut at Medinah.
Kobayashi, a three-time winner on the Japan Tour, had a hat-trick of gains from the fourth, while recent NH Collection Open winner Crespi continued his excellent form with three birdies in his first four holes.
They were one ahead of a group of players that included 1997 winner and former World Number One Lee Westwood and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.
Korea’s Baek Seuk-hyun, Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, Scotland’s Craig Lee and South Africans Bryce Easton and Jbe Kruger were also two under during the early exchanges.
