DP World Tour: England's Andy Sullivan shares ISPS Handa Championship lead after first round

Andy Sullivan cards eight birdies and solitary bogey in seven-under 63 to share lead after round one of the DP World Tour's ISPS Handa Championship; watch round two live on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event from 4am on Friday

Thursday 20 April 2023 10:38, UK

Andy Sullivan shares the lead after round one of the DP World Tour's ISPS Handa Championship following a seven-under 63 in Japan.

The Englishman carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey on Thursday to sit at the top of the leaderboard with South Korea's Yeong-Su Kim, who notched seven birdies in a blemish-free round.

Sullivan, who started on the 10th tee, made birdies at 12, 15, 16 and 18 to reach the turn in 31, before securing three successive gains between the third and fifth holes, bogeying the seventh and ending with another birdie.

He said: "I'm really pleased. Me and my coach have been working on going back to when I was playing my best, around 2015, 2016, so we've looked at swings from there and almost tried to mimic that.

"It's getting close, I feel confident with the irons. Driver is still taking a bit of work. On the whole the game is feeling good. It feels a lot more under control again [with] less of the erratic shots."

Sullivan's compatriot Jordan Smith plus Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, David Law and Scott Jamieson are among a host of players three shots back on four under in a tie for 14th place.

Alexander Bjork, Aaron Cockerill and Deon Germishuys are one stroke behind Sullivan and Kim on six under, with home Japanese players Keita Nakajima, Yosuke Asaji and Ryutaro Nagano in the group on five under.