Kuchar grabs 3-shot lead as Tiger falters

LOS ANGELES – Matt Kuchar fired a sparkling sevenunder 64 on Thursday to seize a three-shot lead after the first round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

South Korea’s Lee Kyoung-hoon and Americans Russell Henley, Wyndham Clark, Adam Schenk and Harold Varner shared second on 67 with Rory McIlroy – newly returned to world number one – headlining a group of 10 on 68 that also included Australia’s Jason Day and former Masters champion Patrick Reed.

Tournament host Tiger Woods closed with a bogey to fall out of that bunch, cooling off after a hot start to post a two-under par 69 as he pursues a record 83rd US PGA Tour title.

Woods was still a teenager when he played his first US tour event at Riviera, but he has never won on the classic course in the Pacific

Palisades west of Los Angeles in 12 prior tries, and his struggles continued on Thursday.

“I got off to a nice start on the front nine and just didn’t hit many good shots on the back nine,” said Woods, who opened with an eagle at the first and added two birdies before the turn but had two bogeys without a birdie coming in.

“Made a couple loose swings and made a couple good saves on the back nine for par, but just wasn’t able to get any birdies on the back nine,’’ Woods said.

Kuchar, meanwhile, started hot and stayed that way.

‘”t was a fun, fun day out there playing Riviera,” said the ninetime US PGA Tour winner, who opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th.

His seven birdies included a 28footer at the 18th and a 33-footer at the eighth – his penultimate hole of the day.