Green, Aphibarnrat and Smith share first-round lead in Singapore after 8-under 64s
SINGAPORE (AP) — Gavin Green, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Jordan Smith shared the first-round lead at the Singapore Classic after shooting 8-under 64s on Thursday.
Green, from over the border in Malaysia, holed a 40-footer for eagle at No. 3 and birdied seven of his last 12 holes late in the day to join Thailand’s Aphibarnrat and England’s Smith in a tie for first.
Smith, the world No. 88 and coming off a second-place finish at the Jonsson Workwear Open two weeks ago on the European tour, was bogey-free around Laguna National Golf Resort Club and finished with an eagle at the par-5 last.
The No. 441-ranked Aphibarnrat, who had nine birdies, is looking to win for a fifth European tour title and for the first time since 2018.
They were a stroke ahead of Ugo Coussard of France and two clear of Andrea Pavon, Grant Forrest, Richard Mansell and Freddy Schott.
Shane Lowry flew in from The Players Championship on the PGA Tour, where he was tied for 19th on Sunday, and shot 3-under par after just one practice round. The 34th-ranked Irishman made three birdies in his first four holes and then two more in his final four holes, but none in between.
“I felt like golf was easy and that everything was going to be easy today,” Lowry said of his strong start, “but it bit me back. I need to be a bit more in control of my emotions tomorrow and play it one hole at a time.”
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