Waterford’s Kevin Phelan was tied for 36th after opening with a battling level par 71 in the US$1.25 million SMBC Singapore Open.

The former Walker Cup player only hit five fairways on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club but he made three birdies to cancel out a bogey at the third and a double-bogey at the 13th to end the day just five shots off the pace.

South Korea’s Taehoon Ok and Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai shot five-under 66s in the final event of the season on the Asian Tour to lead from Korean Sihwan Kim, Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, and Justin De Los Santos from the Philippines who returned 67s.

Play was abandoned for the day at 5.51 pm due to poor weather (lightning and rain), with 52 players due to resume their opening rounds at 7.30 am on Friday.

Scores