DP World Tour: Antoine Rozner four ahead as Andy Sullivan starts strongly at Korea Championship | Golf News

Andy Sullivan shares second place with Sanghyun Park, four strokes behind Antoine Rozner, while Yannik Paul is one of five players on four under; watch the second round live on Friday from 5am on Sky Sports Golf

Antoine Rozner equalled the lowest round of his career to grab a four-shot lead after the opening round of the DP World Tour’s Korea Championship.

Rozner fired nine birdies in a brilliant bogey-free 63 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon to pull clear of closest challengers Andy Sullivan and Sanghyun Park.

Beginning on the back nine, Rozner followed back-to-back birdies from the 11th by making four more in a five-hole stretch from the 14th on his way to reaching the turn in 30.

Antoine Rozner holds a four-shot lead after the opening day in South Korea

Rozner – who won the Mauritius Open earlier in the season – birdied the first, took advantage of the par-five third and picked up a shot at the sixth, then signed off a bogey-free round with three consecutive pars.

“A lot of things went my way today,” Rozner said. “I obviously played well, but you need a bit of luck to shoot 63, especially on a hard golf course like this one. I didn’t have so many chances on my back nine, but when I had a chance, I made it.”

Sullivan holed from 60 feet at the fifth as part of a run of four consecutive birdies, helping him to an opening-round 67, while Park also sits in a share of second after finishing with back-to-back birdies.

“I feel like my game is trending in the right direction, so I just got to keep persevering with it and hopefully get in the right end come Sunday,” Sullivan said. “The course doesn’t really feel like it’s yielding many birdies. I know I made a few with the putter, but you’ve got to be on your game.”

Andy Sullivan is a four-time winner on the DP World Tour

Yannik Paul continued his impressive form to sit in the group on four under that contains Pablo Larrazabal and Alexander Bjork, while Scottish duo Robert MacIntyre and David Law both started with a three-under 69.

Adrian Meronk and Kazuki Higa, the two highest-ranked players in the field, sit in a share of 47th place after both carding level-par 72s, while Jordan Smith and Rasmus Hojgaard both struggled to opening-round 74s.

Watch the Korea Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 5am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.