Scott Piercy carded a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 to grab a three-stroke lead over Hideki Matsuyama of Japan after one round of the CIMB Classic at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Piercy, from San Diego State and Las Vegas, had trouble on the greens last week while tying for 25th in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in his hometown, but needed only 25 putts this time while recording five birdies on each nine.
“I’ve been struggling with the putter,” said Piercy, who has won three times on the PGA Tour, the last in the Barbasol Championship last July. “I just focused on getting my speed right on the greens and my caddie gave me a few really good reads today.
“I was really frustrated (last week), especially being at home. I felt like I played the absolute worst I could have played and still finished top-25.
” … Well, can I shoot 62 tomorrow, too?”
Matsuyama, who has played well despite not winning since his only PGA Tour victory in the 2014 Memorial, birdied three of his last four holes to shoot 65.
Jason Gore of Valencia and Pepperdine eagled the fifth hole and made his only bogey at No. 18 in a 66 that left him in a tie for third with Keegan Bradley, Cameron Smith, Charles Howell III and Alex Cejka of Germany.
Kevin Na of Diamond Bar, who has finished second in the first two events of the PGA Tour season, posted a bogey-free 67 and was tied for eighth with Brendan Steele of Idyllwild and UC Riverside, Spencer Levin of Elk Grove, defending champion Ryan Moore, Matt Jones of Australia, Morgan Hoffman, Branden Grace of South Africa and Scott Hend of Australia.
Adam Scott of Australia eagled the fifth hole en route to a 68 and was in a tie for 16th that included Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas, Padraig Harrington and Scott Brown, who made a hole in one with a 6-iron on the 14th hole.
