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SANYA, China -- Chapchai Nirat of Thailand shot a course-record 61 Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the TCL Classic. The $1.1 million event is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour.

The 11-under 61 at the Yalong Bay Golf Club topped the previous record of 10-under 62 shot last year by two players: Liang Wenchong of China and American Edward Loar.

Argentine Rafael Echenique shot a 64 with three players a stroke back on 65 -- Lu Wen-teh of Taiwan, New Zealand's Richard Lee and Keith Horne of South Africa.

Five more players were another stroke back at 66, including European Ryder Cup player Lee Westwood.

Liang, who won his first major tournament last weekend at the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters, opened with a 69. Liang defeated Malaysia's Iain Steel on Sunday on the first playoff hole at the Singapore Masters, then promised to donate his winnings of $183,330 to help develop golf in China.

Nirat, 23, is looking for his first major victory and has never won on the Asian or European Tour. He made 11 birdies, and didn't drop a shot.

"I changed putters for this tournament because I was struggling with my putting the last few weeks," Nirat said. "I didn't get too excited, I just kept thinking birdie, birdie, birdie."

The TCL Classic on China's southern Hainan Island in one of three in the next month being played in China. Shanghai is host to two tournaments in April -- the Volvo China Open and the BMW Asian Open. All three are sanctioned by both the Asian and European tours.

Nirat produced his stunning 61 despite course officials toughening up the picturesque course with the addition of more substantial rough following Johan Edfors' 25-under-par victory total last year.

England's Oliver Fisher finished tied for 10th on 5 under, a shot clear of compatriots Simon Griffiths, Sam Little and Barry Lane and Wales' Mark Pilkington, while Paul McGinley of Ireland, the 2005 runner-up, carded a disappointing 72.

"I am very happy with the round. I drove well and I was bogey free," said Nirat. "I played here last year, so I am familiar with the course, which helps when driving and putting. There is a lot more rough this year but I made sure I hit straight."

Westwood, starting on the back nine, made an ideal start with a birdie at the 10th before adding a superb eagle at the 13th. A bogey at the 15th was quickly canceled out by a birdie at the next as the 33-year-old reached the turn in 33.

He collected two early birdies on the front nine, at the second and the fourth, before three-putting the fifth. But he recovered and carded birdies at the seventh and ninth to come home in 33.

"I played well," he said. "I got off to a good start with a birdie on the first hole. I chipped in on the second, which was nice. Finished with a birdie on nine, holed it from about six feet.

"I struggle with grainy greens. I hit a lot of good putts out there without reading the right lines," he expained. "I used to be a good grainy green putter but I've lost the knack of reading them.

"I played well tee to green and I've been working on a few things. I felt quite comfortable out there and hit a lot of good shots," he said. "I got lucky on the second when I chipped in, but all in all, 66 was about the worst it could have been.

"I'm sure there are lower scores out there. There's no wind," he added. "The par 5s, you should be on [the green] in two."

McGinley, like Westwood starting on the back nine, went out in 37 but recovered somewhat on the way back, picking up three birdies to go with two bogeys.

"I played really poorly, I have no excuse. I did well to shoot a 72," he said. "It was just inconsistent play, I hit a lot of bad shots. I didn't have any control of the golf ball all day.

"I've got to shoot a good score to get back into the tournament, I need to spend some time on the range and find out what I'm doing wrong because I'm not going to shoot that low score with the way I played today," he added. "But tomorrow's another day."

England's Nick Dougherty carded a 3-under 69 after collecting three birdies on the back nine after making the turn on par.

"It's average, it's acceptable," said Dougherty. "I played alright at times, didn't hit my driver quite how I'd want to, but all in all I played okay.

"I made a couple of sloppy bogeys, take those away and I'd have been fine. It's obviously made harder by the fact there's an 11 under out there," he added. "But there's a long way to go and it's not a bad start. I had a good back nine to get back into it."

Outgoing European Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam, who missed the cut at the 2005 event in Sanya, carded a level-par 72.

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