Dubai-born golfer Rayhan Thomas expressed dissatisfaction with his performance on the greens, posting a two-over-par 73 in the opening round of the Asian Tour’s $2 million International Series England at Foxhills in Surrey, near London. Despite the tough round, Rayhan is determined to enhance his game in the upcoming rounds at Longcross, which he considers a 'fun golf course'. “I had a really bad day approaching the greens,” the 24-year-old remarked. “My approach shots were inadequate, and I didn’t make enough birdies. My driving was good, and my putting was acceptable - I just didn’t get close enough to the hole.” For the second round, he plans to practice his shots and remains optimistic. “I’m not overly concerned. I enjoy the course,” he noted. “The wind might strengthen later, but I shouldn’t be too far behind by the end of the day. Tomorrow offers a fresh start on a course that rewards good play with many birdie opportunities.”
In contrast, Canadian Richard Lee excelled with a nearly perfect seven-under 64, leading the 156-player field. Close behind at five-under 66 were Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang, England’s Richard Bland, Australia’s Aaron Wilkin, Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, and Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert. Rayhan, who recently finished tied 8th in the Asian Tour International Series event in Morocco, is competing this week thanks to a special invitation from the Asian Tour. He started strong with a birdie on the 10th hole but struggled later, finishing the front nine at level par 36, with one birdie and two bogeys. On the back nine, he stayed consistent, making seven pars and two bogeys. Statistically, his game was solid, hitting 9 out of 14 fairways and reaching 13 greens in regulation, but he used 33 putts, suggesting he left some shots on the greens.
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri, based in Dubai, shot a one-over 72 in this fourth event of the 2024 season’s 10-event International Series on the Asian Tour. Rayhan is set to start his second round on Friday from the first tee at 11:30 am.
