Chinese duo share lead after first round in New Orleans

China’sZhang Xinjun and Dou Zecheng belied their low world rankings and pickedoff birdies at their final three holes to tie for the lead after thefirst round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Thursday.Thefirst two players from China to earn PGA Tour membership looked at homewith the game’s elite as they carded 12-under-par 60 in the four ball(best ball) format at TPC Louisiana.The bespectacled Dou ran in a30-foot putt for birdie at the last as the pair joined American duoLucas Glover and Chez Reavie in the lead, while six other teams shot 62.Theonly official event on the PGA Tour with a team format, the ZurichClassic uses four ball (best ball) in the first and third rounds, and(alternate shot) foursomes in the second and final rounds. Dou, 21, isranked 476th in the world. He became the first player from China towin on the PGA Tour’s secondary Web.com Tour when he captured theDigital Ally Open last year. Zhang, 30, is a two-times PGA Tour Chinawinner, and is that tour’s all-time leading money-winner. He is ranked301st in the world.Glover, meanwhile, said he had tried to supporthis partner’s hot hand by playing somewhat conservatively as he andReavie tied for the lead.“There was a stretch there I was trying todo that, trying to hit it to 20 feet and let him hit it to 10 and itreally worked,” said the 2009 US Open champion.“We hit a bunch of good putts and we were reading them right.”PatrickReed made a good return to competition in his first start since winningthe US Masters three weeks ago as he and partner Patrick Cantlay carded65.US Open champion Brooks Koepka, who missed nearly four monthsdue to a torn left wrist ligament, marked his return with a 67 with MarcTurnesa. The shot of the day belonged to American Ron Oppenheim, whoholed out from 261 yards with a three-wood at the par-five seventh foran albatross as he and partner Nate Lashley shot 64. It’s not a skins game, but Rose sheds his slacks anywayJustinRose ignored the local alligator population and stripped down to hisunderwear to hit out of a water hazard at the Zurich Classic of NewOrleans on Thursday.When the Olympic champion’s tee shot at thepar-three third hole finished partly submerged at TPC Louisiana, Rosedecided the ball was playable, and bared some skin in an attempt toblast it onto the green.With partner Henrik Stenson jokinglysticking a hand towards the lens of the nearby TV camera to block theview, Rose shed his slacks, shoes and socks before taking his stancewith his right foot in the water, and his left on dry land.His recovery shot succeeded in finding the green.Roseperhaps was inspired by Stenson, who nine years ago showed even moreskin in a similar attempt to play from a water hazard at a World GolfChampionships event at Doral in Florida.Unlike Rose, Stenson even removed his shirt, leaving himself in just a pair of white underpants before taking his shot.“Mypartner showed me what you’ve got to do,” Rose joked. “Remember Doral?He’s not scared of taking his pants off, so he said get in there.”Rose and Stenson combined to shoot seven-under 65 in the first round of the team event on Thursday. Rosewas more adventurous than American Talor Gooch, who found threealligators nearby after his ball found a bunker at the 18th hole.Twoof the reptiles responded to a nudge from a rake and returned to theadjacent pond, but the third would not budge, which led to a ruling.Gooch was allowed a free drop in the bunker, but his ball plugged.He considered that a reasonable outcome under the circumstances.“I chose life over a good lie in that situation,” he told Golf Channel.Leading scores after best-ball first round 60-Chez Reavie/Lucas Glover (USA/USA), Zhang Xinjun/Dou Zecheng (CHN/CHN)62-TonyFinau/Daniel Summerhays (USA/USA), Chris Paisley/Tommy Fleetwood(ENG/ENG), J.J. Henry/Tom Hoge (USA/USA), Michael Kim/Andrew Putnam(USA/USA), Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown (USA/USA), Troy Merritt/Brendon deJonge (USA/ZIM)63-Chad Campbell/Matt Jones (USA/AUS), Shane Lowry/Padraig Harrington (IRL/NIR)64-JimmyWalker/Sean O’Hair (USA/USA), Alex Cejka/Ben Crane (GER/USA), RussellKnox/Martin Laird (SCO/SCO), Harold Varner/Robert Garrigus (USA/USA),Nate Lashley/Rob Oppenheim (USA/USA), Brice Garnett/Chesson Hadley(USA/USA), Jason Day/Ryan Ruffels (AUS/AUS), Brendan Steele/JamieLovemark (USA/USA), Richy Werenski/Nicholas Lindheim (USA/USA), TylerDuncan/Adam Schenk (USA/USA).