In-form Kevin Yu knocking on door again in Zozo Championship

Three weeks after banging down the door to his first PGA Tour victory, Chinese Taipei’s Kevin Yu was hovering around the leaderboard once again following a tidy 5-under 65 in the first round of the Zozo Championship on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Yu hit six birdies against a lone bogey at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club for tied fifth position as he rode on his newfound confidence after winning the Sanderson Farms Championship earlier this month.

His close friend, C.T. Pan, came home with a matching 65 as the duo emerged as Asia’s leading players on a day when Taylor Moore fired a fine 63 to lead by one stroke from Max Greyserman, Nicho Echavarria and Eric Cole, who finished runner-up here last season.

Korea’s K.H. Lee, who finished T5 in the Shriners Children’s Open in Vegas last week, maintained his resurgence with a 66, and was matched by Japanese quartet Ryosuke Kinoshita, Taisei Shimizu, Shugo Imahira and Takumi Kanaya.

Defending champion Collin Morikawa opened with a 69, while home hero Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 champion, carded a 71. Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, who at World No. 2 is the highest ranked golfer in this week’s field, stumbled to a 73 following a quadruple bogey on the ninth hole.

Yu, a former amateur star at Arizona State University, hit 10 of 13 fairways, which he said was the key to his fast start in the $8.5-million showpiece which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

“Everything was pretty good. I feel like after last year, really put in the work for this course because I didn't play good. I was trying to figure out what's the reason, and this year I feel like my tee shot was a lot better,” said Yu, who finished T59 last season in the 78-man field.

“I feel I was too aggressive last year and this year, I was trying to be more conservative. If I can hit some fairways, hit some greens, I know my putting is good, too. It worked out pretty good. Definitely my game is up there. Obviously last week I didn't have my best, but I still feel pretty good coming in this week. Just trying to keep it up the next three days.”

Pan, whose lone PGA Tour victory was the 2019 RBC Heritage, closed with four consecutive birdies