Branden Grace held a share of the lead on Friday after the first round of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok event after he carded a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 at the Stonehill course in Thailand.
Grace made seven birdies, and he shared the first-round lead with Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra of Spain and England’s Richard Bland. They led by one from Marc Leishman of Australia and Ian Poulter, with five players on five-under-par.
Grace picked up four birdies on the front nine, and three on the back nine, while Lopez-Chacarra and Bland were also bogey-free in their opening rounds.
Next best of the South Africans was Charl Schwartzel on two-under in a share of 21st in the 48-man field, while Shaun Norris and Louis Oosthuizen were both on one-under in a share of 31st. The Zimbabwean Scott Vincent signed for a two-under 70.
In the team contest, the all-South African Stinger GC of Grace, Schwartzel, Norris and Oosthuizen were lying fourth after the first round at 10-under-par. That put them four strokes back from the leaders, Fireball GC, with Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz and Lopez-Chacarra.
