Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati equalled the East Course record with a bogey-free nine-under-par 62 to lead The Indonesia Pro-Am presented by Combiphar & Nomura on Wednesday.

His nine-birdie round matched the 62 recorded by Japan’s Naoki Sekito when he set the course record during an Asian Development Tour event at Gunung Geulis Country Club in 2019. The East Course played to a par of 70 on that occasion, making Sekito’s round eight under.

Lguirati leads American Tim Nielsen by one stroke in the US$125,000 tournament, the 11th event of the ADT season, which features a 109-player professional field competing across Gunung Geulis’ East and West courses.

Nielsen shot a 63 on his first look at the East Course. He arrived from the United States at 2am on Monday and had time to practise only on the West Course before the tournament began.

Fellow American Nathan Han recorded the day’s best score on the West Course, a seven-under-par 64 that left him two strokes behind Lguirati in third place.

Lguirati credited a disciplined tactical approach and his new caddie, Muhsin, after recording his lowest tournament round.

“It was a very good day. I’m happy with how I played and especially with how we managed the course,” said the Moroccan, making his third appearance in the event.

“I shot nine under with nine birdies and no bogeys. It is my best score in a tournament.

“This is also my first tournament with my caddie, Muhsin, and he did an excellent job today. I’m very happy about that.”

Several putts from between six and seven metres contributed to Lguirati’s 62, but his restraint from the tee was just as important. He used his driver only three times, relying primarily on his three-wood and three-iron to negotiate the East Course.

“I liked all of the birdies. I made some good putts from six or seven metres, but I was particularly pleased with how I managed the course,” he said.

“I hit driver only three times all day. I used my three-iron and three-wood on the other holes, and that strategy worked very well.”

Lguirati will switch to the West Course for Thursday’s second round, when the field reverses courses before the halfway cut. The leading 50 professionals and ties will advance to Friday’s final round on the West Course.

“I will try to do the same things with my caddie: respect our plan and follow our strategy,” he added.

“It is a three-day tournament and there is still a long way to go. I have to remain humble, stay patient and do the work.”

Nielsen’s 63 carried a compelling personal dimension. Born in Indonesia before moving to Denmark at the age of two, the American is visiting the country for the first time in 24 years.

He arrived from the United States at about 2am on Monday and was able to complete a practice round only on the West Course, leaving him dependent on local knowledge when he began his campaign on the East.

“I played the East Course blind today,” said Nielsen, who turned professional in 2024.

“I got a lot of help from my local caddie. It was sometimes difficult for us to understand each other, but there was plenty of pointing and somehow we got it done. The putter was pretty hot today.”

Nielsen picked out his birdie on the ninth, where he converted from about 25 feet after striking a six-iron from the tee.

Han, meanwhile, led the scoring on the West Course with his 64. He reached six under before making a birdie from approximately 17 feet on the 13th, his final hole of the day.

“Today was about staying patient, and I think I did that well,” said Han.

“I knew there were birdie opportunities, but also some very tricky holes. Some bounces will go your way and others will not.

“I took those things in my stride, concentrated on my process and remembered that once the ball is in the air, it is out of my control.”

Han entered the week 13th on the Order of Merit and is seeking to move into the top 10 as he pursues a full Asian Tour card for next season.

“My goal is to secure a full Asian Tour card,” he said.

“I don’t want that to place any additional pressure on my game. If I continue improving, trust my process and treat every round as another opportunity to get better, that is all I can do.”

Seven players share fourth place on six under. Indonesia’s Kevin Akbar, Singapore’s Nicklaus Chiam, Australia’s Darcy Brereton and Italy’s Michele Ortolani shot 65s on the West Course, while India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill, Korea’s Minhyeok Yang and Thailand’s Tanapat Pichaikool matched that score on the East.

Ortolani, Chiam, Yang, Gill and Pichaikool began the week third, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth respectively on the Order of Merit.

Current Order of Merit leader Khavish Varadan heads the group another stroke back after a 66 on the East Course. Roberto Lebrija, Ho Yu-cheng, Andi Xu, Lu Wei-chih, Ryoto Furuya, Nirun Sae-ueng and Marcus Lim also finished the opening day on five under.

The tournament combines the professional stroke-play competition with a separate team contest in which each professional partners an amateur. While the leading 50 professionals and ties make the individual cut, the top 20 teams qualify for the final round.

For Nielsen, however, the week represents more than an opportunity to improve his position on the Asian Development Tour.

“I was born in Indonesia and this is my first time back in 24 years, so I’m very happy to be here and feel fortunate to have this opportunity,” he said.