PETALING JAYA, August 6, 2008 (AFP) - Thai teenage star Chinnarat Phadungsil managed a new course record in carding a seven-under-par 64 to lead after the first round of the Worldwide Selangor Masters on Wednesday.

Having already bagged two Asian Tour titles the 19-year-old needed just 25 putts to open up a two-shot lead from Australian Adam Blyth at Seri Selangor Golf Club to take a stroke off the previous course record.

'I had some luck with me as I didn't hit it too well but made putts from everywhere. I was holing out 10 footers for birdies.

'My putting hasn't been great this year and I changed to a new putter this week after getting it fitted at the Scotty Cameron studio in California last month,' said the former world junior amateur champion.

Japan's Taichiro Kiyota, Fijian Dinesh Chand and Singapore's M. Murugiah are three off the lead in the 310,000-dollar Asian Tour event at the par-71 Seri Selangor Golf Club.

The event at Malaysia's first public golf club marks the beginning of the second half of the Asian Tour season, with 15 tournaments to be played from now until December.

Chinnarat sank eight birdies against a single bogey in racxing to the top of the leaderboard as he swiftly mastered the narrow layout of a course characterised by firm fairways and tricky greens.

And his score surprised him.

'When I first saw the course, I thought that one under would be a good round. If you miss it left or right, you can easily run up a big number. If I shoot one or two under tomorrow, I'll take it,' he said.

Blyth, who played in his first major at the British Open last month, won a pro-am tournament in Australia by 15 shots at the weekend following an impressive 28-under-par total and a pair of eagles kept him in touch with Chinnarat, despite a bogey at the seventh for his first dropped shot in 80 holes from two events.

'It was a good start. I felt pretty average after just flying in only yesterday. But I guess from playing well last week, it just kept flowing,' said Blyth.