Jordan Spieth took a flight from Abu Dhabi to Singapore and didn’t skip a beat.
The 22-year-old Spieth, No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings, shot a bogey-free 4-under-par 67 in the first round of the SMBC Singapore Open to sit one stroke behind leaders Keith Horne of South Africa and Berry Henson on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.
“My speed control was great, with no three putts,” said Spieth, who was coming off a tie for fifth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and an eight-stroke victory in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
“I had a lot of putts over 30 feet today; I know I was not hitting it close enough, but I managed to hit the fairway to a good number and get onto the greens where I just need to two-putt. It was pretty stress free and but there were no real opportunities.
“It’s just the first round. Coming here, to a different country, a different time zone, it’s still an adjustment, and I think each day should get a bit better.”
Spieth, who had agent Jay Danzi replacing caddie ailing Michael Geller on the bag, sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole and added three birdies on the back nine. He has broken 70 in eight of his first nine rounds this year. Geller sustained an ankle injury last week.
Horne, 44, who has won eight times on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, collected five birdies in a span of seven holes through No. 12 en route to his 66.
Henson, from the University of San Diego and Thousand Oaks, birdied three straight holes through No. 6 while finishing on the front nine and was 5-under through 17 holes when rain halted play for the day.
Byeonghun An of South Korea also had a bogey-free 67 and was tied for third with Spieth, while Namchok Tantipokhakul of Thailand and Shintaro Kobayashi of Japan also were at 4-under and still on the course when the rains came.
American lef-hander Paul Peterson was tied for seventh at 68.
