Hisatsune fires 62, grabs lead

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — Ryo Hisatsune fired a career-best 10-under par 62 on Thursday to take a one-stroke first-round lead in the PGA Tour Pebble Beach Pro-Am as defending champion Rory McIlroy and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler left themselves work to do.

Hisatsune nabbed 10 birdies without a bogey in ideal conditions on Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of two courses in use over the first two rounds.

He was one stroke in front of Sam Burns — who carded seven of his nine birdies on the back nine in a nine-under 63 at Pebble Beach — and Keegan Bradley, who had an eagle and seven birdies at Spyglass Hill. 

The 23-year-old from Okayama, who won the 2023 Open de France on the DP World Tour, has been stepping it up in pursuit of a first US PGA Tour title.

After a tie for second behind runaway winner Justin Rose at Torrey Pines, Hisatsune held the halfway lead at the Phoenix Open last week and played in the final group on Sunday on the way to a share of 10th.

He said the past two weeks had boosted his confidence in his putter, and it certainly showed as he needed just 22 putts, gaining more than five strokes on the field on the greens.

“(I’m) feeling much more comfortable playing these greens,” said Hisatsune, who followed his four-foot birdie putt at the second with a 29-footer at the third and a 39-footer at the fourth.

After birdies at the sixth, seventh, ninth and 11th he capped his round with three straight birdies.