Four-way tie for TCL Classic lead
Paul Casey’s first appearance outside America this season brought an instant reward as he stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the TCL Classic in China.
Ireland's Paul McGinley is in the chasing pack at -7.
On a day of low scoring the Ryder Cup star shot a flawless eight-under-par round of 64 to earn a share of the lead alongside Swedish pair Fredrik Andersson Hed and Johan Edfors and Thailand’s Chawalit Plaphol.
Casey, starting on the back nine with playing partners Colin Montgomerie and China’s Lian-Wei Zhang, ran up four successive birdies between the 12th and 15th to turn in 32.
He immediately birdied the par-five first and the 480-yard second to move to six under and back-to-back birdies on his closing two holes briefly put him clear at the top of the leaderboard.
Ryder Cup team-mate Montgomerie, who is looking to finish no lower than second to get into the world’s top 50 and earn a place at next month’s Masters, is three shots back on five under.
Like Casey the Scot recorded four birdies in his first nine holes but a bogey six at the 543-yard 13th spoiled his card.
Birdies after the turn at the fourth and ninth holes saw him shoot 67 but that was only good enough for a tie for 22nd as 125 players shot sub-par scores on the benign Yalong Bay Golf Club in Sanya on the Chinese province of Hainan Island.
Scotland’s Ross Bain, who has yet to win after joining the European Tour in 2001, is tied for fifth after a round of seven-under which included an eagle three at the 15th and five other birdies.
Also seven under is another Ryder Cup player Paul McGinley, who also harbours hopes of regaining a place in the world’s top 50.
After three birdies and a bogey on front nine he raced home in 31 after picking up four shots in five holes immediately after the turn and closing with a three at the 449-yard 18th.
The 39-year-old Paul Broadhurst, whose last European Tour win was almost 10 years ago in the French Open, was also seven under after carding a bogey-free round.
