Danny Lee shot six birdies on the way to a 5-under 66 in the first round of the US PGA Tour event in Norton Massachusetts finishing just two shots off the lead.
The Kiwi teed off in the middle of the day making most of the beautiful conditions grabbing birdies on the 2nd and 4th holes before dropping his only shot on the 6th. Another birdie on the 9th and again on 12, 13 and 18 secured a day of positive play.
Lee is two shots behind the leading group of Harris English, Kevin Streelman, Cameron Davis and Russell Henley who all finished on 7-under.
PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa is back tied for 85th on even par.
Lee’s second round will begin at 11.42pm Friday night New Zealand time.
Fox Four Shots Adrift
Ryan Fox is four shots behind the leading group after day one of the ISPS HANDA Wales Open in Newport.
The highest-ranked Kiwi on the European Tour started well with birdies on holes 3 and 4 before a messy back nine.
He bogeyed 11, birdied 12 and 13 and then gave both of those strokes back with a double bogey on 14. Another bogey on 17 before a birdie on 18 helped him finish the day on 1-under 70.
Local star Connor Syme who topped the leaderboard after 54 holes over the same Celtic Manor Resort layout last week before finishing tied for third, shot a five-under-par 66.
That left him alongside England’s Jordan Smith, with the pair two shots clear of American Kurt Kitayama, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, England’s Callum Shinkwin and Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg.
Fellow Kiwi Michael Campbell finished 2-over par with a 73 and is tied for 56th spot.
Fox tees off in the second round at 1.13am Saturday NZT while Campbell goes at 12.40am with coverage beginning on Sky Sport 8 at 12.30am.
Voke Holding On
In Colombus, Ohio Nick Voke is at 1-over after a first round of 72 in the Korn Ferry Tour event at The Ohio State University Golf Club.
Voke had a quiet round with two bogeys on holes 7 and 8 and then a single birdie on 12 to finish seven shots behind the leader’s Jimmy Stanger and Nick Hardy on 6-under par.
In the second tournament since being tied for second at the Pinnacle Bank Championships, the Kiwi based in the US tees off in the second round at 1.31am Saturday morning New Zealand time.
