"I'm very happy with how I've played today. I'll go out there and play even better tomorrow," said Noh, 20, who is making his second appearance at the British Open.

"I did everything right today. Apart from a few bad tee shots, everything was okay. This is not an easy course to play but I'm glad I'm still able to handle it well," added Noh who marked his card with two birdies against a lone bogey.

Noh may have struggled to find his form earlier in the year after making swing changes under the guidance of world renowned coach Butch Harmon, but he knew that the result will show if he continued to keep faith in himself.

"I've always believed in myself and despite some people questioning why I had to change my swing after achieving so much success, deep down inside me, I know it would be a change for the better," said Noh.

But Noh's round was bettered later in the day by compatriot Hwang, who moved to two under after shooting a 68. Only a bogey on the 18th prevented the 19-year-old tyro from finishing on three-under.

Meanwhile Yang Yong-eun, the first Asian male to win a Major, plans to adopt a more aggressive approach to keep his title ambitions alive after posting a 71, the same as K.J. Choi.

"The winds died down considerably in my back-nine and I should have capitalized on it. The conditions were easier there and because I couldn't finish my round on a positive note, I'm going to play a lot more aggressive tomorrow," said Yang.

Thailand's Prom Meesawat battled to an opening 72 but is savoring every moment in his Major debut.

From having used to watching the action from the comforts of his living room to finally teeing up alongside the world's best players, Prom now hopes that his run will extend into the weekend.

"This is my first Major and it's a good score for me. It's a great experience playing in front of so many people and learning how to keep my focus under all of these different conditions," said Prom, who holds one victory on the Asian Tour.

"I hit a lot of good tee shots today but the winds were blowing very strongly especially on the front-nine and it was difficult to get my ball to stop. I going to try harder tomorrow but a lot will depend on the wind conditions and hopefully it'll be favorable for me," added the Thai who mixed his card with six bogeys against four birdies.