The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thomas powers to 63 behind pair of eagles
FedEx Cup champ starts fast; Garcia shares lead in Spain.
Justin Thomas eagled twice in a 9-under-par 63 to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the CJ Cup, the first PGA Tour regular-season event in South Korea.
Thomas started Thursday with a bogey at the 10th hole but made amends with eagles on the par-5 12th and 18th holes around four straight birdies from No. 14-17 to turn in 29. He added three more birdies and a bogey to hold his margin.
“It was kind of a weird day,” Thomas said. “It started off with a really, really bad bogey. And then I had a seven-hole stretch there where I basically kind of went unconscious. That was pretty much most of my round.”
Thomas set up a long eagle putt on No. 12 with a driver and a 3-wood.
Thomas won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in 2015 and 2016 and says he is comfortable playing overseas.
“It’s still golf,” Thomas said. “It doesn’t matter where you are and I know that it is very cliche and easier said than done but you just have to take advantage of the rest and time you have off the course.”
Chez Reavie, Gavin Kyle Green, Scott Brown, Patrick Reed and Marc Leishman all opened with 66s and were in a five-way share of second at 6 under.
Jhonattan Vegas and Charles Howell III were among five players a shot further back at 5 under.
Jason Day and fellow Australian
Rod Pampling were at 4 under, one stroke ahead of Pat Perez, who was coming off a victory last week at the CIMB Classic.
Adam Scott had a 72 containing four birdies and four bogeys.
European Tour: Tournament host Sergio Garcia shot a 5-under 66 to grab a share of the lead at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters in Sotogrande, Spain.
The Spaniard had seven birdies and two bogeys at Real Club Valderrama to finish the opening day level with Joost Luiten of the Netherlands.
The 37-year-old Garcia is competing in his native Spain for the first time since winning his first major at the Masters in April.
“I’m very happy with my round,” Garcia said. “I hit my irons very well ... and I made some nice putts here and there.”
Fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal shot a 4-under 67 to share second place with Englishman Robert Rock.
Andrew Johnston, who won at Valderrama last year when it hosted the Spanish Open, shared sixth place after a 2-under 69.
Spain’s Jon Rahm got off to a disappointing start with a 3-over 74.
LPGA Tour: Eun-Hee Ji carded a 6-under 66 to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Taiwan Championship in rainy Taipei. Ji got off to a strong start with back-to-back birdies at the Miramar Resort and Country Club, and added four more to finish the bogeyfree round clear of fellow South Koreans Sei Young Kim and Megan Khang, and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.
Lydia Ko was in a group of five tied for fifth after a 70 that included three bogeys and five birdies.