Kuchar storms past Matsuyama for Phoenix lead

LOS ANGELES, California: Matt Kuchar caught fire on the back nine on Thursday, firing a seven-under 64 for a one-shot first-round lead over defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and Brendan Steele at the Phoenix Open on Thursday.

Olympic bronze medalist Kuchar opened birdie-birdie at TPC Scottsdale, but he did his real damage coming home with three birdies and an eagle at the par-five 13th, where he rolled in a 20-footer.

He surged past Japan’s Matsuyama, who was in the clubhouse on six-under 65, where he was later joined by Steele.

Kuchar is making his first start since the unofficial Hero World Challenge in early December, but showed no signs of rust.

Matsuyama cooled off with 27th and 33rd place finishes at the Sony Open and Farmers Insurance Open. While he’s not at the level he was in October, he said, he’s hoping he can get there.

Certainly Matsuyama looked sharp in picking up where he left off last year with a birdie at his opening hole, the par-four 10th.

Steele had twice gained the solo lead at seven-under, but back-to-back bogeys dropped him back to five-under before he gained a share of second with a birdie at the eighth, his penultimate hole. It was his seventh birdie in a round that also included a hole-out for eagle at the 14th.

South Korea’s An Byeong-Hun was among a group of five players tied for fourth on five-under 66, along with Americans John Peterson, Robert Garrigus, Scott Brown and Chris Kirk.

Rickie Fowler, beaten by Matsuyama at the fourth playoff hole in Phoenix last year, headed a big group on four-under 67 that also included J B Holmes, Steve Stricker, Brooks Koepka, Alex Ceijka, Martin Laird, Webb Simpson and Graham DeLaet. South Korea’s Kang Sung was four-under through 17 when darkness halted play with nine players still to finish.

Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, a fan favorite at the rowdy Phoenix event he has won three times, headlined another big bunch on three-under 68.