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 on Thursday.
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, fresh from his best finish of the year on the Asian Tour where he was tied sixth in the Crowne Plaza Open, Beijing, 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.
"Chih Bing carried me on the front nine and I was saying to myself that I've got to help my partner. I was happy to hole that last putt," said Mamat. The home team also needed a birdie at the last hole to remain close to neighbours Singapore, with Chia draining an eight-footer for Malaysia's sixth birdie of the day. Steel, featuring for Malaysia for the first time, contributed two birdies but said they missed a bucketful of opportunities.
Rosales paid tribute to his partner Que, who contributed four of the team's six birdies, including three on the trot after the turn.
"Angelo played really good when we needed to," said Rosales, who is hoping to be third time lucky with his partner in their World Cup ambition. "We both played badly on the front nine for one-under and then he tells me that we needed to birdie the next three holes and he goes out to do it himself."
Myanmar's Kyi Hla Han and Zaw Moe carded a 67 which was matched by Taiwan duo Wang Ter-chang and Chang Tse-peng as they shared fifth place, three off the lead. Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiratchant, the current Asian Tour number one, suffered a disappointing day on the greens as they produced only a 69 to lie five shots off the pace.
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).
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