Hideki Matsuyama was the early front runner for the Olympic medal chase as the golf competition for the Paris Olympic Games got underway on Thursday.
The world no.12 signalled his ambitions with a bogey-free eight-under-par 63 to top the 60-men leaderboard at the Le Golf National, holding a two-shot lead over defending gold medallist Xander Schauffele of the United States.
Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, fired five birdies in his front nine and continued his birdie blitz by adding another three more coming home.
Gavin Green of Malaysia. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Malaysia’s Gavin Green carded an opening round of three-over 74, tying for 53rd place with Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Colombia’s Nico Echavarria. Green began his first nine with four bogeys on the first, second, fourth, and eighth holes, but managed to rally with birdies on the third and seventh. He found his form on the back nine, only dropping a shot on the 17th.
He tees off for his second round at 12.28 p.m. (Paris time), 6.28 p.m. (Malaysian time)
