Steele leads after solid round

INZAI, JAPAN - Brendan Steele will certainly have enjoyed his post-round meal on Thursday, after he closed with four straight birdies for an opening six-under 64 to lead the Zozo Championship.

"Everybody says if you birdie No. 18, dinner tastes better," said the American. "But four in a row is definitely, really nice and feels good."

He finished runner-up at the 2021 tournament here to local favourite Hideki Matsuyama.

"I love it here," said Steele, who dropped a shot at the 14th hole before recovering in style. "Loved the course last year - really happy to be back."

The steady rainfall over the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club did not slow down a large crowd eager to catch the only PGA Tour event in Japan, particularly with no Covid-19 restrictions in place unlike the 2021 edition.

He was part of a strong United States presence at the US$11 million (S$15.8 million) event.

Steele's playing partner and compatriot Adam Schenk had a bogey-free 65, good for second and one shot clear of their countrymen Keegan Bradley, Matthew NeSmith and Sam Ryder.

Matsuyama, who was Japan's first male Major winner after his win at the 2021 Masters, had thousands of fans following him but he gave them little to cheer, struggling to a 71. He started badly when his ball wedged between a tree and a power cable on the second hole, which he ended up bogeying.

He said he was looking to "improve right across the board" after a stuttering round containing only two birdies against three bogeys.

"It was raining and it was a tough round - I didn't give a good account of myself today," said Matsuyama.

"I was able to get some good rest last night and I was feeling better physically, so it's a shame that I couldn't get a good score today."

His flightmate, Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele, fared better in damp conditions, carding a 67 to match Rickie Fowler, Maverick McNealy, Mito Pereira and Japan's Kazuki Higa.

Schauffele said he saw one of his drives "just get knocked down by the rain" during a heavy downpour, but conditions are set to improve with clear skies forecast for the rest of the week.

"It was one of those days where you could play yourself out of the tournament with the weather being pretty bad," he added.

South Korean Kim Joo-hyung, who became the second-youngest player in PGA Tour history to capture multiple titles by winning the Shriners Children's Open on Sunday, had a 70.

Elsewhere, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell on Wednesday said players on the Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour needed world ranking points "ASAP" as he aimed a jab at the official ranking body.

The 2010 US Open winner, whose ranking has plunged to 419th, is one of the stars lured by LIV's US$25 million purses. He said the body could not be called "official" if it shunned the invitation-only tour.

"All we want is to have a fair court, if you like, to recognise exactly what it is that we are doing out here," he said in Jeddah, ahead of the nascent tour's first event in Saudi Arabia. "I feel LIV tried to do everything they possibly can to be legitimate in the eyes of the OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking)."

LIV is not recognised by the OWGR, whose review is expected to take more than a year. Without points, its players are falling down the rankings, jeopardising their qualification for the Majors.

The circuit applied for ranking points through a partnership with the Mena Tour, but its events, played over 54 holes with no cut, do not fit all the usual criteria.

REUTERS, AFP