Paul Casey tied for the lead after day one of Hero World Challenge
Friday 4 December 2015 21:59, UK
Paul Casey birdied the final hole to earn a share of the first-round lead with Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Casey rolled in his sixth birdie putt of the round at Albany to cap a faultless 66 in his first appearance since announcing he would not be rejoining the European Tour next season - therefore making himself ineligible for next year's Ryder Cup.
The Englishman cruised to the turn in 34 and picked up shots at the 10th, 13th and 15th before his excellent finish lifted him alongside the American duo at the top of the leaderboard.
Walker, who has had only one top-10 finish since winning the Valero Texas Open in March, was first into the clubhouse on six under after a remarkable back nine, featuring birdies at 10 and 11 before he reeled off four in a row from the 14th.
But he revealed he had been working hard on his game with coach Butch Harmon after he missed the cut at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan last month.
Walker, who has been working with Harmon on a different head move, was delighted to rebound with a scintillating eight-birdie display at Albany.
"I ran off to Japan on a whim and played really bad, I was kind of embarrassed," Walker told the Golf Channel.
"Since then, I haven't been doing much but we really started working hard on the swing, just a little head move, and I've had a hard time getting it. Doing it on the course is tough, it's a big change, but I did it pretty well today."
Open champion Johnson also enjoyed a birdie blitz on the inward half, matching Walker's birdies at 10 and 11 and making three in a row from the 15th.
Johnson parred the last and was cleared of a rules infringement when he tested the direction of the grain on the fairway as he prepared to play his approach.
World No 1 Jordan Spieth is among a group of five players just one shot adrift of the lead, and the Masters and US Open champion provided the shot of the day when he aced the 172-yard second hole with a six-iron.
"I just needed to hit a nice punch-draw with a six-iron," said the 22-year-old. "It was right at it but we didn't think it went in. I thought it was about 10 or 12 feet long after I struck it. It took a little while in the air to drop."
He also picked up shots at seven, 14 and 15 in his solid 67 which earned a share of fourth with fellow Masters winners Adam Scott and Bubba Watson, while Bill Haas and Brooks Koepka are also at five under.
Dustin Johnson is a further shot back after a four-birdie 68, but Justin Rose has ground to make up after a mixed bag of a 71 which included an eagle and four birdies, but also three bogeys and a double-bogey at the fourth.
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