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Jonathan Byrd grabs early lead at Hyundai Tournament of Champions in a bid to defend the title

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Jonathan Byrd grabs early lead at Hyundai Tournament of Champions in a bid to defend the title

Nobody knows the notorious Plantation Course at Kapalua better than the defending champion Jonathan Byrd who shot a blistering six-under, 67 in the opening round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Friday, January 6.

Byrd won the season-opener last year with a stunning 24-under but failed to capitalise on his early gains in the rest of the year.

He has stepped on the scenic Hawaiian course in a bid to regain his lost form and defend the title he won last year.

"You're never sure what you're going to get the first round of the year," Byrd said. "You're leading the golf tournament and you walk off a hole embarrassed”.

Byrd pulled in six whooping birdies on the front nine and dropped just one shot before making the turn for the back nine.

He started off the back nine with another bogey on the 11th but shot back into form, carding two more birdies to close the round. Byrd is now leading the event by one shot.

A group of four players, Steve Stricker, Michael Bradley, Martin Laird and Webb Simpson are tied for the joint second, trailing the leader by one shot.

Stricker, the highest ranked American player, pulled in his tons of experience of the treacherous Kapalua to start off the season on a strong note.

He stumbled on a dreadful double-bogey on par-three, 8th and another bogey on the back nine at par-four, 5th, and finished off the 18-hole stretch carding no fewer than eight birdies in all.

"I wasn't very happy at the time," Stricker said. "I knew if I could get a good, decent round in - I was thinking get 3 under or something like that -- I'd be OK. But I got a couple more than that coming in".

Webb Simpson, winner of two PGA titles last year, carded an amazing round of five-under, 68 on the first day to stay in contention for the $5.6-million event.

Simpson fell for an early bogey on par-four, 3rd but quickly regained his composure and never looked back. He pulled in a stunning eagle at par-five, 5th and some four birdies to close the day.

PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley, the only major winner in the event, finished his day another shot back, closing his round for four-under, 69.

 

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