SEUNG-YUL NOH SURVIVED a broken driver to shoot an opening 60 and a three-stroke lead after the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson near Dallas.
The South Korean – who has won once on the PGA Tour – cracked the head of his driver on the 12th tee, but matched his outward nine of 30 on the way home with birdies on three of the last four holes.
That leaves him three clear of Australia’s Adam Scott and Zecheng Dou of China with world number two Scottie Sheffler and Jason Day among those a further stroke back.
Scott’s 63 was his lowest opening round for nine years after tying for fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship last week.
Waterford’s Séamus Power is nine off the lead after an opening stanza of 69.
Power’s two-under-par round consisted of two bogeys and four birdies, including one at the par-five 18th which moved him into a tie for 65th.
He bogeyed the par-4 fourth before back-to-back birdies on eight and nine moved him under par at the turn. Power nailed his third successive birdie on the par-4 10th before rounding off with a bogey-par-birdie run to finish two under for Thursday.
