New Zealand amateur golfer Danny Lee opened his account with a three-over 74 on the first day of the Singapore Open on Thursday.

The world’s No 1 ranked amateur started slowly in difficult, humid conditions and was forced to spend more than two hours off the Sentosa Golf Club course due to a rain suspension.

At that stage he was already three-over after shooting a double-bogey on the par-five 18th hole.

He finished on the front none, where he managed a bogey and a birdie to settle in the middle of the field midway through the first round.

The early clubhouse leader on four-under 67 was Singapore’s Chih Bing Lam.

There are five New Zealanders in action at Singapore, including Asian Tour money leader Mark Brown, who is partnering his nearest rival Jeev Milkha Singh and South African great Ernie Els through the first two rounds.

Brown was two-over through his first six holes.

Mahal Pearce was seven-over late in his round and Stephen Scahill nine-over while Richard Lee was among the late starters.