Piercy goes on birdie blitz

Kuala Lumpur - American Scott Piercy made light work of the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club by firing a blistering 10-under-par 62 to grab the first round lead at the PGA Tour's CIMB Classic on Thursday.

The bogey-free effort gave the Las Vegas born 36-year-old a three-shot lead over Japan's Hideki Matsuyama in the $7 million co-sanctioned Asian Tour event, the third of the new 2016 PGA Tour season.

While Piercy was dominating the leaderboard, compatriot Scott Brown was picking up the big prize. The 32-year-old walked away with a new sports car after a hole-in-one at the 199 yard par three 15th.

It helped improve his first round mark to four-under 68, good enough for a share of 16th alongside major winners Adam Scott of Australia, Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink of the U.S.

The CIMB Classic had been previously played on the Mines Course in the Malaysian capital but the short track proved a birdie fest for the US circuit's finest.

But the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club, which is hosting for the third time, failed to halt the red numbers with 62 of the 78-man field under par for the first round.

Former US PGA champion Keegan Bradley was one who found picking up shots straight forward on Thursday as he fired seven birdies and an eagle in a round of 66 to share third spot behind Piercy and Matsuyama.

American Ryan Moore, winner of the event in the last two years, was well placed in a tie for eighth at five-under.

62 - Scott Piercy (USA)

65 - Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)

66 - Jason Gore (USA), Alex Cejka (GER), Cameron Smith (AUS), Charles Howell III (USA), Keegan Bradley (USA)

67 - Spencer Levin (USA), Morgan Hoffmann (USA), Kevin Na (USA), Matt Jones (AUS), Brendan Steele (USA), Branden Grace (RSA), Ryan Moore (USA), Scott Hend (AUS)

68 - Patrick Reed (USA), Adam Scott (AUS), Scott Brown (USA), Justin Thomas (USA), Chad Campbell (USA), Padraig Harrington (IRL), Troy Merritt (USA), Stewart Cink (USA)