Thursday’s Pro golf ROUNDUP

SANDERSON FARMS CHAMPIONSHIP

JACKSON, MISS.

Andrew Landry and J.J. Spaun are among five players who shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead after the opening round of the Sanderson Farms Championship. Smylie Kaufman and 2015 Sanderson Farms winner Peter Malnati are part of a group of four players who are one back after shooting a 67. The 30-year-old Landry got off to a blazing start at the Country Club of Jackson, shooting 6-under through the first five holes after starting on No. 10. The highlight was on No. 14 when he made eagle from 110 yards on a gap wedge shot that bounced once and into the hole. Spaun made seven birdies and one bogey. He’s in his second year on the tour after having three top 10 finishes last season. The other co-leaders are Conrad Shindler, Ryan Armour and Wyndham Clark. None of the five leaders have ever won on the PGA Tour.

HSBC CHAMPIONS

SHANGHAI

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka made birdie from a water hazard late in his round and opened with an 8-under 64 to build a one-shot lead in the HSBC Champions. Koepka already threw away one opportunity by three-putting from 4 feet on the third hole for bogey. Then, he hooked a 3-iron off the tee at the par-5 eighth and into a tiny stream. He removed his shoes and blasted it out of the water onto the fairway, ripped a 3-wood from 275 yards onto the green and made a 20-foot birdie putt. He had a one-shot lead over Gavin Green of Malaysia and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand. Patrick Reed was another shot behind with a 66.

Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, opened with a 68.

SIME DARBY

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Lydia Ko had a 7-under 64 for one of her lowest rounds of the year to take a one-shot lead over Su Oh at the LPGA Tour’s Sime Darby event in Malaysia. Former No. 1-ranked Ko, who is yet to win a title this year, is two shots ahead of defending champion and two-time winner Feng Shanshan, who ended at at 5 under. Feng was in a share of third spot with Madelene Sagstrom and Eun Hee-Ji, who won by six strokes in Taiwan last week for her first LPGA Tour title since 2009. “Today I tried to be positive and as confident as I can,” said Ko, who finished second in Taiwan. “I think playing well last week really gave me good momentum going into today.” She opened with a birdie, one of seven in an unblemished round on the par 71, 6,246-yard course at the TPC Kuala Lumpur.

ASIA-PACIFIC AMATEUR

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

Shae Wools-Cobb tied a tournament record with a 29 on his opening nine holes and finished with an 8-under 63 to build a four-shot lead after the first round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur. Wools-Cobb started on No. 10 at Royal Wellington and capped off his opening nine with an eagle on the 18th hole. He dropped only one shot on the front nine and still had a large lead. Among those chasing the 21-year-old Australian was Sean Maruyama, the son of Shigeki Maruyama. He played in the same group with Wools-Cobb and shot 67, along with Min Woo Lee of Australia, Nick Voke of New Zealand and Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines. The winner earns a spot in the Masters and British Open next year.

Associated Press