Defending champion Justin Thomas carded an 8-under-par 64 at TPC Kuala Lumpur and tied Derek Fathauer and Keegan Bradley for the lead after the first round of the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 23-year-old Thomas, who claimed his first and only PGA Tour a year ago with a tournament record score of 26-under-par 262, picked up right where he left off by recording nine birdies.
“Yeah, it was a good day, it was solid,” said Thomas, who had six birdies in a span of eight holes through No. 16. “If there’s such thing as an easy 8-under, it was. I wedged it great. I took advantage of the first three par 5s. … just kind of went along my business today. It was a pretty low stress day,
“It’s fun. I’ve never had the opportunity to defend before. The only other time I won professionally was on the Web.com (Tour) and I wasn’t there the next year. It’s cool. It’s fun being back.”
Fathauer played bogey-free in his 64, while Bradley birdied six of the first eight holes and added an eagle at No. 10.
Paul Casey, who has finished in the top five in his last four tournaments, birdied four of the last five holes and was fourth with a 65, while Anirban Lahiri of India had six birdies in seven holes at one stage of a 66 that put him in fourth.
Brendan Steele of Idyllwild and UC Riverside, who captured the Safeway Open last week in Napa, shot 66 and was tied for sixth with Sergio Garcia of Spain, Brian Harman and Aaron Baddeley of Australia.
Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed overcame an early double bogey to shoot 65 and was tied for 10th with Jamie Lovemark of Rancho Santa Fe and USC, Harold Varner III, Scott Piercy, Charles Howell III and Kevin Kisner.
