Tokyo 2020 - Sepp Straka leads the way in Olympic golf tournament, Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey in contention
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/07/2021 at 09:52 GMT
The men's golf event got underway at Kasumigaseki Country Club and Austria's Sepp Straka secured the clubhouse lead with an excellent round of 63. Britain's Paul Casey is four shots back on 4-under-par, while Rory McIlroy's well placed on 2-under. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.
Rory McIlroy reacts after a missed putt at the Olympic golf, Kasumigaseki Country Club, Saitama, Japan, July 29, 2021
Image credit: Getty Images
Sepp Straka produced an Olympic record round of 63 to secure an early lead in a weather-hit opening 18 holes of the men’s golf event, while Team GB's Paul Casey and Ireland's Rory McIlroy are well placed to challenge.
The Austrian, ranked 161 in the world, was one of the early starters and took advantage of the benign conditions to power to the top of the leaderboard at 8-under par, a lead of one shot over Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond.
Straka went bogey free, with four birdies on each nine to secure him the early lead.
Early starters flooded the leaderboard, with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters another to impress from his morning tee time. The former Ryder Cup player started well in Rio only to fade - is two adrift of Straka, with his round of 65 including a holed second from the fairway on the 11th.
Team GB’s Paul Casey carded four birdies in his round of 67 to sit four adrift of the leader on 4-under, while Tommy Fleetwood had a nightmare on the 18th, carding a double bogey to end the day 1-under.
Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama carries the weight of the host nation on his shoulders, and he played himself into the tournament with an opening round of 69.
The course was hit by a deluge of rain overnight, and inclement weather was forecast for later in the day. The dreaded hooter went off to signal a break in play due to a threat of lighting, with a host of big names out on the course, before it resumed later on.
Arguably the stellar group contained recent Open champion Collin Morikawa and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.
Their opening tee shots summed up their rounds, as both failed to find the fairway and they could not get much going. Both of them had solid opening rounds, though, and finished 2-under - six shots back.
Patrick Reed was the beneficiary of Bryson DeChambeau’s positive Covid-19 test, and the American is well placed at three-under.
Reed’s fellow American Justin Thomas signed for a 71 after 18 consecutive pars at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.
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