Day 1 at WGC HSBC Champion saw the power and dominance of American Professional Golfer Brookes Koepka who shot an eight-under 64 to take a one-shot first-round lead in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club.

 

   

                                       Koepka is making his second appearance at the WGC-HSBC Champions

 

However, it was a big disappointment for India as SSP Chawrasia finished at tied 48^th. Koepka’s effort was one shot shy of the tournament’s lowest opening round by Branden Grace in 2015.

 

Starting from the 10th tee, Koepka birdied 14, 16 and 17 before making an eagle on the par five 18th hole to turn in 31. He shot four more birdies against a lone bogey coming home to grab his first solo first-round lead in his PGA TOUR career.

 

 

NOTEWORTHY ROUNDS

 

 

 

                             Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat fired matching seven-under-par 65s

 

Malaysia’s Gavin Green and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat fired matching seven-under-par 65s to stay one shot back of American Brooks Koepka who leads with his 64 after the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions on Thursday.

 

The Asian duo had earlier shared the clubhouse lead until Koepka stormed home with two birdies in his closing three holes to take the opening day honours at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

 

Like his first round efforts in Korea last week, Green found himself in another similar position on the leaderboard again. While he fell out of contention after that, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader is hopeful of doing better this week.

 

Kiradech was two birdies shy of equaling the most consecutive number of birdies made in a round after he went on a birdie blitz starting from the par-four 16.

 

NOT SO NOTEWORTHY ROUNDS

 

Defending champion and world No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama signed for 2-over 74, a round hampered by a triple bogey-7 at the par-4 third.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

• World number 11 Brooks Koepka won his first Major at the U.S. Open this year and lifted his first PGA TOUR title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2015.
• Koepka is making his second appearance at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He finished in tied-40th place last year.
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat earned his place at WGC-HSBC Champions as one of the top-30 players from the European Tour’s 2017 Race to Dubai rankings.
• Kiradech narrowly missed out on his second win on European soil when he finished tied-second in Italy a fortnight ago.
• Gavin Green is making his first appearance at a World Golf Championship. He is in the field due to his standing on the Asian Tour Order of Merit where he is currently leading.
• Green is among the four players who enjoyed a bogey-free opening round. The others are Patrick Reed (66), Wu Ashun (67) and Matt Kuchar (67).
• Green won the Mercuries Taiwan Masters for his first Asian Tour title earlier this month and his career breakthrough came two weeks after he had finished runner-up for the third time this season in Korea.
• Green was the first amateur to win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2014.
• The Malaysian finished second on the 2016 Asian Development Tour Order of Merit to earn his Asian Tour card for 2017. He also represented his country at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro alongside Danny Chia, a two-time Asian Tour winner, where he finished where he finished 47th.