Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 4: Tour rookie Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand stole the limelight after carding his personal-best round of a nine-under-par 62 to storm to the top of the leaderboard, seizing the halfway lead at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Thai, who came through the 2019 Asian Tour Qualifying School last December, fired an eagle and eight birdies against a bogey to grab a three-shot lead with his 15-under-par 127 total at the highly-rated Kurmitola Golf Club.

Sadom’s commendable round saw him set the lowest 18-hole and 36-hole scores in the National Open of Bangladesh. His three-shot advantage is also the largest halfway lead recorded in the tournament, which is celebrating its fifth edition on the Asian Tour this week.

In-form Rashid Khan of India returned with a bogey-free 64 in the afternoon to grab second place on his own while overnight leader Maverick Antcliff of Australia slipped six shots off the pace to third following a battling 70 at the US$350,000 Asian Tour event.

Local hero Siddikur Rahman emerged as the highest-placed Bangladeshi on the leaderboard after posting a 68 to share fourth place with Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa (67) and Viraj Madappa of India (66) on matching 134s.

Starting from the 10^th, Sadom reeled in two straight pars before a birdie on the 12^th sparked a hot streak which saw him go five-under in the next four holes. He dropped a shot on the 17^th hole but would gain it back swiftly with a birdie on 18^th to turn in 30.

Sadom went on to add three more birdies on his back nine to cap a superb round, which saw him navigate his way around the greens in only 24 putts, including a 13-footer for eagle on the par-five 14^th hole.

A total of 70 players, including a record number of 12 local professionals, survived the halfway cut set at one-over-par 143.

The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2019 welcomed a new title sponsor in the National Bank Ltd, a public limited bank in Bangladesh. The tournament has been named in honour of the father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Did you know?

• Sadom Kaewkanjana secured his 2019 Asian Tour card in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last December.
• Sadom, who turned professional at the end of 2018, broke through on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) after claiming his first professional victory at the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation in February.
• The 20-year-old Thai enjoyed a tied-sixth finish on the Asian Tour when he played the 2018 Queen’s Cup presented by Bangchak as an amateur last year.
• Sadom enjoyed an illustrious amateur career prior to joining the play-for-pay ranks. He was ranked as high as 10th position on the Official World Amateur Rankings and his amateur wins include the 2017 Malaysian Amateur Open, 2017 All Indian Amateur and the 2018 Dutch International Junior Open. Also won the 2017 Singha Pattaya Open on his domestic circuit as an amateur.
• Sadom is making his first start on the Asian Tour this season. He first played at the Kurmitola Golf Club four years ago for the 30th Bangladesh Amateur Golf Championship where he came in second.
• Rashid Khan, who turned professional in 2010, is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour. He won twice in Thailand and India in 2014.
• Khan has been enjoying a good run of form since winning on his domestic circuit in Mumbai last December. He won again in Bangladesh last month before claiming a solid top-10 finish at the Hero Indian Open last week.
• Maverick Antcliff enjoyed a tied-fourth place finish when he made his Asian Tour debut at the Asian Golf Championship in China two years ago.
• Antcliff secured his 2018 Asian Tour card in what was his first attempt at the Qualifying School. The Australian, however, failed to keep his card for 2019 after finishing outside of top-60 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Antcliff is making his debut appearance at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open this week. It will be his third Asian Tour start this season. He missed the halfway cuts in his last two starts in Perth and New Zealand.
• Siddikur Rahman marked the best ever result produced by a Bangladeshi at the 2017 Bangladesh Open. He birdied the 18th hole to close with a five-under-par 66 and a 13-under-par 271 total, finishing four shots shy of winner Jazz to take second place on his own.
• The Kurmitola Golf Club is the home course of Siddikur, who used to work as a ball boy at the club to support his studies. He is currently attached to Kurmitola Golf Club as an honorary member.
• Siddikur became the first player from Bangladesh to win on the Asian Tour when he emerged victorious at the Brunei Open in 2010. Also became the first sportsman from his country to qualify for the 2016 Olympics on merit and was accorded the honour of becoming Bangladesh’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
• Two weeks ago, Siddikur finished tied-15th at the lucrative Maybank Championship in Malaysia. He sits in 18th place on the Merit rankings.