INZAI CITY, Japan — Taylor Moore shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday to lead by one shot after the first round of the Zozo Championship, the only PGA Tour event in Japan.
Max Greyserman, Nico Echavarria and Eric Cole were a shot behind after rounds of 64 at the Narashino Country Club. Two players from Taiwan — C.T. Pan and Kevin Yu — were two back after 65s.
Moore had an eagle on the 562-yard 18th — his ninth hole of the round — when he chipped in just over 100 feet.
“I had plenty of green to work with,” Moore said. “I hit a nice chip and it went in.”
Moore and Echavarria each have one victory on the PGA Tour. Greyserman and Cole are looking for their first.
Greyserman is playing a tournament for the first time in two months. He finished second in two of the last four tournaments he played, then put the clubs down for a break.
“It was kind of a lot of on-and-off,” he said. “Instead of just like one month fully off, it was like a full week off, then maybe like a day or two — and then another full week off.”
“I haven’t really played, practiced that much, to be honest,” he added. “I mean, when you hit as many shots as all the guys out here have in their whole life, it doesn’t really leave you.”
Cole lost a playoff last year in the Honda Classic as he looks for his first victory.
It was a so-so day for some of the better-known players in the no-cut field of 72.
Local favorite and 2021 Masters champions Hideki Matsuyama shot a 1-over 71 and was far off the pace.
Defending champion Collin Morikawa opened with a 69, and Xander Schauffele, the current PGA and The Open champion, stumbled to a 3-over 73. He had company there with fellow American Max Homa.
Schauffele took an 8 on the par-4 ninth when his tee shot landed behind a tree.
“I should have just taken an unplayable, but I was an idiot and tried to hit it,” he said. Then I was stubborn and then tried to hit it again, then finally took an unplayable.”
Schauffele was asked if there was a lesson to be learned.
“I think having false confidence helps at times, and in those spots it really doesn’t,” he said. “So I’ll definitely try to assess it a little bit better next time and really think if I can get it out or not.”
