New Zealand golfer Danny Lee has made a strong start to his first PGA Tour event of 2022.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 31-year-old was tied fifth after the opening round of The American Express tournament in California on Friday (NZ time).
Lee, playing his first event for two months, fired a bogey-free round of seven-under par 65 to be three shots behind joint leaders Patrick Cantlay and Lee Hodges.
The Rotorua-raised player was three-under through 14 holes, before storming home with four straight birdies.
The impressive opening round had Lee on course for a third top-10 finish in what was just his fifth event tournament of the 2021-22 season.
His tied second finish in Bermuda in late October last year was his best result on Tour for more than two years.
Meanwhile compatriot Lydia Ko had a mixed performance but overall solid start to the opening event of the new LPGA Tour season.
The 24-year-old, who was resurgent in 2021 to rise back to third in the world rankings, was tied 14th at one-under par after round one of the Tournament of Champions in Florida.
Ko mixed four birdies with three bogeys to be four shots behind outright leader Gaby Lopez, of Mexico.
In Hawaii, New Zealander Steve Alker continued his strong start to his career on the PGA Champions Tour to be tied for third after round one of the season-opening event.
He carded a six-under par 66, to be just two shots back off outright leader and four-time major champion Ernie Els.
The South African had a one shot buffer from Fijian Vijay Singh, with Alker in a five-way tie for third.