SHANE LOWRY IS five shots off the lead after the opening round of the Singapore Classic.
Lowry carded a 69 on Thursday to sit five strokes back from joint leaders Gavin Green of Malaysia, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, and England’s Jordan Smith.
The Clara man currently sits in a tie for 31st at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
Lowry started in a fashion that justified his status as pre-tournament favourite, birdieing the first and second holes — both par 4s — before moving to three under par on the par-3 fourth.
He dropped a shot on the par-4 fifth, however, and then slowed towards the turn with consecutive pars as far as the 12th.
Lowry bogeyed again on 13, a par 5, but found further birdies on the par-4 15th as well as the final hole, a par-5, to keep touch with the leaders heading into Friday.
Belfast man Tom McKibbin is one under for the tournament after an opening-round 71 in which he made four birdies and three bogeys.
