Weather: Hot and humid weather with temperatures reaching 91 degrees with winds shifting from the North to the South at 4-8 mph.
Due to wet conditions, preferred lies were used during the first round.
First-Round Leaderboard | Scott Piercy | 62 (-10) |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 65 (-7) |
| Jason Gore | 66 (-6) |
| Alex Cejka | 66 (-6) |
| Cameron Smith | 66 (-6) |
| Charles Howell III | 66 (-6) |
| Keegan Bradley | 66 (-6) |
Scott Piercy
It is the lowest first-round score in the history of the CIMB Classic, and is the lowest 18-hole score recorded at this event since it moved to Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club two years ago. Previously, Ryan Moore’s opening-round 63 in 2013 was the best at KLGCC, and he went on to win that year, as well as the next. The lowest 18-hole score recorded at the CIMB Classic was a 61 by Nick Watney in the final round in 2012 at The Mines Resort and Golf Club. Piercy’s PGA TOUR career-low is 61, which he has shot twice.
Piercy’s round included 10 birdies and no bogeys. This is the third time he has led after 18 holes, most recently at the Shell Houston Open earlier in 2015, where he finished 10th. He won the 2012 RBC Canadian Open after holding the first-round lead. At the 2010 Farmers Insurance Open, Piercy led after the opening round on his way to a T20 finish.
Hideki Matsuyama
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama opened with a 7-under 65 that included eight birdies against one bogey. This is Matsuyama’s third-consecutive start at the CIMB Classic and by far his best start, shooting 70s in the opening round each of the previous two years. His best showing at the tournament came last year when he finished T21.
Matsuyama’s 65 is his best opening round since he fired a 65 at last season’s Wyndham Championship. His best first-round score is a 64 (8-under) at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide last season, where he eventually finished T5.
Matsuyama’s only victory on the PGA TOUR came in 2014 at the Memorial Tournament, where he was T21 after the first round.
Matsuyama was one of the 12 members on the International Presidents Cup Team earlier this month in Incheon, Korea, that saw the U.S. Team win by a narrow margin. For the week, he was 2-1-1. He finished 16th in the FedExCup last season.
Two-time defending champion, American Ryan Moore got off to another great start at the CIMB Classic, firing a 5-under-par 67. In his two victories, he opened up with a 63 (2013) and a 68 (2014). Two years ago he won in a playoff over Gary Woodland and last year by three over Woodland, Kevin Na and Sergio Garcia.
With a win this week, Moore would become the first player since Steve Stricker to win the same PGA TOUR event three years in a row (John Deere Classic, ’09-11).
Moore had a strong 2014-15 campaign, earned $2,642,306 and finished 39th in the final FedExCup standongs for the second straight year.
Moore recorded four top-10 finishes on the year, including two consecutively in March at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship and the Valspar Championship.)
Scott Brown
Scott Brown made an ace at the par-3 15th hole, the third of his career, on his way to a four-under-par 68. The ace came at the 15th hole from 189 yards, which carried an added bonus for Brown, as the first player to make a hole-in-one on the 15th hole this week won a BMW i8.
His ace was the first ever on the 15th hole at the CIMB Classic.
Brown is making his first start at the CIMB Classic since 2013, when he finished 72nd.
Miscellaneous Stats
In addition to 500 FedExCup points and a two-year PGA TOUR exemption, the CIMB Classic champion receives invitations to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, a winners-only event in January, along with two major championships (Masters Tournament and PGA Championship) and THE PLAYERS. The player would also earn exemptions into six additional invitational events and a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR.
Five players are tied for third after shooting opening-round 6-under 66s: Jason Gore, Alex Cejka, Cameron Smith, Charles Howell III and Keegan Bradley.
Gary Woodland, who recorded runner-up finishes in each of the last two years, struggled to a 3-over 75, his worst round at the CIMB Classic.
Adam Scott, making his first appearance at the CIMB Classic, finished with a 4-under 68 in the first round. Notably, he was not wearing his sunglasses during the round due to the heat and humidity, causing him to sweat and fog up the lenses.
Anirban Lahiri, who won at KLGCC earlier this year on the European Tour opened with a 2-under 70. Lahiri fired a 10-under 62 on this course in his victory earlier this year on the European Tour.
Bogey-free rounds:
R1 – Scott Piercy, Alex Cejka, Charles Howell III, Kevin Na, Chad Campbell, Brendon De Jonge, Jon Curran, Paul Casey, Russell Knox, Ben Martin, Carlos Ortiz.
-www.cimbclassic.com
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