Jazz off to a hot start with fine 64

TOKYO: Unheralded Austrian Sepp Straka was the surprise leader after a weather-interrupted first round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics golf tournament yesterday as home favourite Hideki Matsuyama and British Open champion Collin Morikawa suffered frustrating starts.

World No.161 Straka took advantage of early benign conditions to set the pace with an Olympic record-equalling eight-under-par 63 at the par-71 Kasumigaseki Country Club.

He leads by a stroke from Thailand’s former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond.

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Mexican Carlos Ortiz were a stroke further back on six-under 65.

Another Thai hope Gunn Charoenkul began his campaign with an even par 71.

Matsuyama and Morikawa both finished at…