OneAsia Order of Merit leader Andre Stolz handled Jeju Island’s infamous high winds best to take a one shot lead after the first round of the $1 million SK Telecom Open. Indonesia PGA Championship winner Stolz defied the notorious wind at Pinx Golf Club to ship just a solitary bogey in a six-under-par 66 and set the pace at the OneAsia event. He leads world number 15 KJ Choi, and fellow Australian Scott Arnold by a shot. “I played great early on,” said 41-year-old Stolz. “It was tough with the wind and with some flags which were not many paces on. While you were also hitting against a wind which felt like a hurricane which made it hard to get on, but I was able to hit some pretty good shots.” After returning to the winners circle in Jakarta at the end of March, seasoned professional Stolz finished 41st at the Volvo China Open before missing the cut two weeks ago in Seoul. But with his lead at the top of the Order of Merit under threat from Maekyung Open champion Kim Kyung-Tae, Stolz’s only first round blemish came with a three putt bogey on the front nine before making amends by starting his second circuit with a timely eagle. After posting a fourth consecutive top 10 finish with his win last week, birthday boy Choi, 41, recovered from an early bogey after a wayward drive with six gains in nine holes around the turn to sit well placed for a challenge. “It was a tough round because of the wind, but I was able to use it to my advantage,” said Choi, who won the title in 2003, 2005 and 2008.
