Scott Piercy of the US made light work of the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club by firing a blistering 10-under 62 to grab the first-round lead at the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic yesterday.
The bogey-free effort gave the Las Vegas born 36-year-old a three-shot lead over Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama in the US$7 million event, the third of the new season.
Piercy, the world No. 42, said a hot putter had been the difference yesterday after a solid, but unspectacular tied 25th finish in Nevada last week.
Photo: EPA
“I was really frustrated, especially being at home. I felt like I played absolute worst I could have played and still finished top 25,” Piercy told reporters of last week’s efforts. “The putts didn’t go in last week and lo and behold this week, filled them up pretty good on [the] first day. So, hopefully it continues.”
While Piercy was dominating the leaderboard, compatriot Scott Brown was picking up the big prize. The 32-year-old walked away with a new sports car after a hole-in-one at the par-three 15th.
“I made like three hole-in-ones in the last two years on [the PGA] Tour and walking up looking at the card I thought, man, it would be nice to make a hole-in-one and win something. Because the other three I made I got nothing,” Brown said. “It was 186 to the hole. It was kind of a weird number for me. I was kind of right in between a six-iron and seven-iron, and chose to go six-iron, took a little off of it and it never left the flag. It hit probably 10 feet short and rolled right in.”
It helped improve his first-round mark to four-under 68, good enough for a share of 16th place alongside major winners Adam Scott of Australia, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink of the US.
The CIMB Classic had been previously played on the Mines Course in the Malaysian capital, but the short track proved a birdie fest.
However, the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, which is hosting for the third time, failed to halt the red numbers with 62 of the 78-man field under par in the first round.
Keegan Bradley was one who found picking up shots straightforward as he fired seven birdies and an eagle in a round of 66 to share third spot.
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