DROITWICH golfer John Bickerton finished two over par in today's first round of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

The 33-year-old had to wait until the par four 15th for his first birdie of the day, but then bogeyed the 16th and 18th following an earlier dropped shot at the fifth.

India's Arjun Atwal missed out on a solid gold trophy despite breaking the course record.

Mines Resort founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew put up the 24-carat trophy, worth 44,000 Malaysian ringits (£7,000), for the first player to better the current record of 63 held by Tiger Woods.

Atwal did that with nine birdies and no dropped shot in his flawless 62, but with players allowed to lift and clean their ball due to the soft conditions, his effort will not count for record purposes.