The men's golf tournament in the United States was held in Japan for the first time in two years, and Hideki Matsuyama got off to a good start with a 6-under second place.
40-year-old Hiroshi Iwata, who got the right to participate in the domestic tour, took the lead with 7 under.
This tournament began as the first American tour tournament to be held in Japan, and last year it was held in the United States due to the influence of the new coronavirus, so it is the first time in two years that it will be held in Japan.
In the tournament that started on the 21st in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, top players from the US tour such as Matsuyama, who has played in Japan since the Tokyo Olympics, and Zander Shafrey, who won the gold medal, participated. ..
Matsuyama started the 1st performance with a birdie, and the 3rd and 6th were also birdies, increasing the score by 3 in the first half.
In the second half, he took a series of birdies with the 13th par three and the 14th par five, and in the first round, he got off to a good start with 6 birdies and 6 unders without bogey.
Hiroshi Iwata leads alone with 7 under
In addition, Iwata, who got the right to participate in the domestic tour, took the lead alone with 7 unders with 1 eagle, 6 birdies and 1 bogey, such as increasing the score by 5 in the first half alone.
In addition, Ryosuke Kinoshita, who is the top prize money player on the domestic tour, finished 6th with 3 unders, and Naoyuki Kataoka, who won 1 domestic tour, finished 13th with 2 unders.
Among overseas players, Shafrey is 29th in the even par, and Collin Morikawa, a 24-year-old American who has won the overseas major twice, is 42nd with one over.
The tournament will be held with a maximum of 5,000 spectators a day, and the final round will be held on the 24th of this month.
Matsuyama "A lot of fans have to play well"
Hideki Matsuyama, who got off to a good start with a 6-under second place, said, "I was able to play with a margin at the beginning. I thought it would be difficult from the current state, but the tee shot is not bad and it is delicate. I was saved because the distance putt was decided, "he recalled the round on the 21st.
On top of that, "I felt pressured that a lot of fans would have to support me on the spot and play well, but that went in the right direction. I want to do my best so that I can play like today." I was talking.
Iwata "Leave it alone until the last day"
Hiroshi Iwata, who took the lead alone with a 7-under, said, "I didn't feel the shot very well in the morning practice, but I managed to get a good start while making corrections. I want you to leave it alone until you fight for the championship on the final day. "