Kevin Na leads Fort Worth Invitational after opening round of 62 with Justin Rose in contention in Texas

Englishman Rose is four shots adrift after a faultless four-under 66 that included three straight birdies

Friday 25 May 2018 01:57 EDT
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Kevin Na leads the Fort Worth Invitational at Congressional by one shot ahead of Charley Hoffman
Kevin Na leads the Fort Worth Invitational at Congressional by one shot ahead of Charley Hoffman (Getty)

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Kevin Na secured a one-shot lead with a brilliant, blemish-free round of eight-under 62 on day one of the Fort Worth Invitational in Texas.

The American hit a trio of birdies before the turn and holed the ninth with a superb chip, earning cheers of approval from the crowd as he knocked Charley Hoffman off the top of the leaderboard.

Compatriot Hoffman had temporarily taken first place with a bogey-free round that saw seven birdies, with none of his par putts more than five feet.

Lurking a shot behind Hoffman are Argentine Emiliano Grillo, Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas and Americans Andrew Putnam and Beau Hossler on six-under.

Englishman Justin Rose was four shots off the lead and tied eighth after carding a near-spotless round of 66 that saw back-to-back birdies on holes 11, 12 and 13.

His first time at Fort Worth since 2010, Rose failed to finish in the top 10 in four previous appearances.

The US Open winner was considerably ahead of the next Briton, Scotsman Russell Knox who went round one-under to tie 44th, while countryman Martin Laird hit a level par 70 that saw five birdies wiped out by five bogeys, leaving him tied in 61st.

Justin Rose is in contention after a blemish-free 66
Justin Rose is in contention after a blemish-free 66 (Getty)

The shot of the day went to Satoshi Kodaira of Japan, who hit an albatross on the first.

But he ended the day with a double-bogey on the ninth, leaving him alongside Rose on four-under.

PA

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