(Reuters) – American Taylor Moore grabbed a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Zozo Championship as defending champion Collin Morikawa and world number two Xander Schauffele made rough starts at the Narashino Country Club in Japan on Thursday.
Moore carded a career-low opening-round score on the PGA Tour as he sank six birdies and a brilliant 100-foot chip for an eagle on the par-five 18th, finishing with a seven-under-par 63. His only blemish was a bogey on the fourth hole.
His compatriots Max Greyserman and Eric Cole, and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria were tied for second place.
“I had plenty of green to work with. I hit a nice chip and it went in,” Moore said of his eagle.
Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and the British Open this year, had a poor start after his tee shot on the par-four ninth got wedged between the roots of a tree.
The 30-year-old attempted to dig it out twice but the ball did not move before he laughed at his own predicament and took an unplayable lie, finishing the hole with a quadruple-bogey.
“I should’ve just taken an unplayable, but I was an idiot and tried to hit it,” said Schauffele, who finished the round at three-over.
“I think having false confidence helps at times and in those spots it really doesn’t.”
Twice major winner Morikawa opened with a birdie but bogeyed the fourth and double-bogey on the sixth, before recovering with three birdies to finish at one under par.
Former world number one Justin Thomas finished at four-under-par to sit tied for seventh.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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