KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6: Singapore’s Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing combined for an opening eight-under-par 64 in the fourball for the first-round lead in the World Cup qualifier here.

The Singaporean duo lead at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club by one stroke from surprise package Finland, whose Janne Mommo and Ari Savolainen produced a fine 65. Host Malaysia enjoyed a solid start with Iain Steel and Danny Chia carding a 66, matched by Filipino pair Angelo Que and Gerald Rosales.

The top two finishers on Sunday will earn their tickets to the World Golf Championships-Algarve World Cup next month, and Lam and Mamat intend to be on the plane to Portugal.

With Mamat, the reigning Indian Open champion, as steady as ever, the big-hitting Lam took the opportunity to attack the pins and contributed one eagle and four birdies on Singapore’s scorecard.

Mamat carded two birdies on the front nine and holed a big 12-foot birdie at the par five 18th to give Singapore the first-day lead.

Pakistan were languishing in the lower half of the board after their pair of Muhammad Munir and Muhammad Shabbir fired 70.

First round scores:

Fourball:

64 — Singapore (Mardan Mamat, Lam Chih Bing).

65 — Finland (Janne Mommo, Ari Savolainen).

66 — Philippines (Angelo Que, Gerald Rosales); Malaysia (Iain Steel, Danny Chia).

67 — Myanmar (Kyi Hla Han, Zaw Moe); Taiwan (Wang Ter-Chang, Chang Tse-Peng).

69 — Thailand (Thaworn Wiratchant, Prayad Marksaeng).

70 — Slovenia (Daniel Kraljic, Damjan Murgelj); Pakistan (Muhammad Munir, Muhammad Shabbir).

71 — Hong Kong (Derek Fung, Dominique Boulet).

73 — Fiji (Krishna Singh, Mira Singh).

76 — Mauritius (Billiy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen).—AFP