Fowler chasing HSBC sweep

SHANGHAI— Rikard Karlberg made his World Golf Championships debut with an 8-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler in the HSBC Champions.

Karlberg has only faced a field this strong twice before in the British Open, both times missing the cut. He wanted to treat this like any other event, and on a soggy Sheshan International course, he made it look easy.

Karlberg was 9-under through 16 holes and challenging the course record when he came up short on the par-3 17th, nearly in a hazard, and managed to save par. He wasn’t so fortunate on the par-5 closing hole after driving into a bunker. He caught too much sand, couldn’t reach the green with his third and took his only bogey.

Fowler, in his first competitive round since the Ryder Cup, holed a 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole for a 65 that had him thinking about an HSBC sweep. He won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January, so far his only victory this year.

Defending champion Russell Lnox, Daniel Berger and Hideki Matsuyama were at 66.

Yang goes low: Amy Yang took the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia lead, and Michelle Wie had her best score in more than a year. Lydia Ko had to fight to get back to even par in her first event since firing her caddy.

Yang shot an 8-under 63 — one off her own course record — for a twostroke lead over American Marina Alex.

Wie opened with a 66, breaking 70 for only the fourth time in 68 rounds this year. Canadian Maude-Aime Leblanc opened with a 69. Brooke Henderson shot a 70.