INTERNATIONAL NEWS - A refreshed Matt Kuchar seized a one-shot lead in the opening round of the Phoenix Open in Arizona on Thursday but had the ominous figure of reigning champion Hideki Matsuyama in hot pursuit.
Kuchar, a seven-times winner on the PGA Tour, took advantage of ideal scoring conditions at the TPC Scottsdale to fire a seven-under-par 64 that included birdies on his first two holes and an eagle at the par-five 13th where he drained a 20-footer.
He narrowly missed a birdie at the last, his attempt from 10 feet sliding past the left edge, to finish one ahead of fellow American Brendan Steele and world No 5 Matsuyama, the game's hottest player over the past four months.
Sixth-ranked American Jordan Spieth opened with a 70 while three-times former winner Phil Mickelson, a popular figure at Scottsdale after attending the nearby Arizona State University, carded a 68.
