Westy stuns with a 12-under 60

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Lee Westwood has fired a sensational 12-under 60 to move into a 5-shot, 1st-round lead at the Thailand Golf Championship.

Lee Westwood fired a sensational 12-under par 60 to move into a five-shot lead after day one of the 2011 Asian Tour finale, the Thailand Golf Championship.

The stocky Englishman roared away on a magical run that brought him 10 birdies and an eagle and enabled him to equal the lowest-ever score chalked up on the Asian Tour and the lowest round of his career – and the World No 3 still have reason feel a little disappointed.

This because he failed to card his first-ever 59, the magical figure every golfer of note would like to include on their CVs

Westwood certainly had the chances to get there, but missed makeable putts on 14 and 17, saying, “one short, one short” with a smile at the cameras as he matched off the 18th at the par 72 Amata Spring Country Club.

Earlier Westwood, bent on recapturing the World No 1 spot he took from Tiger Woods and then lost to Donald earlier this year, had made a sensational start to his round, going birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie and then birdie again at the seventh to reach the turn in 29.

And there was more to come.

He posted three more birdies from the 11th and at 10-under, was left to go another 3-under in five holes to break 60.

In the end the historic feat eluded him. He could only birdie 15 which left him needing to hole his second shot for eagle at the 18th to get there.

Westwood put his second 12 feet from the hole then rolled home the putt for a 60 that was stunning by any standards.

Heading into Friday, five shots behind him, is American John Daly, his nearest pursuer, who fired a bogey-free 65 finish three shots in front of Frenchman Gregory Bourdy and the leading Asian golfer Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand..

Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and England’s Simon Dyson are a further shot back after each shot a 3-under 69 that has left then nine shots behind the runaway Westwood.

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