RSM Classic: Lahiri shoots four-under 68 in first round

Anirban Lahiri got off to a decent start after being rather slow on the first nine in the opening round of the RSM Classic golf tournament at Sea Island here.

Lahiri, who was one-over after five holes, managed to turn in one-under, but on the second nine, the front stretch of the course, he had four-birdies between second and eighth holes.

Then a bogey on the closing ninth left a bad taste as he ended at four-under 68. But with the scoring rather low, Lahiri was still only Tied-41st.

While Lahiri played on the Par-72 Seaside course, the 2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink shot a career-low eight-under 62 at the Plantation course at the Sea Island Resort.

Cink was one behind leader Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, who also played at Seaside Course. This is Lahiri's third start on PGA in the new season after finishing tied third in CIMB Classic and T-28 in Mayakoba.

For Cink, who has not won since 2009 Open, it was a great news as earlier in the week he got the news of a good report on his wife, Lisa's Stage 4 breast cancer. She was in the gallery.

Hughes, the Canadian rookie, flirted with a sub-60 round until pars on the final three holes on the Seaside course for a 61 and a one-shot lead over Cink and Jonathan Byrd.

All of them were at Seaside in ideal conditions for scoring. Cink is using his one-time exemption from the top 25 in career money to play this season, though he doesn't know how often he will play.

The best round on Plantation was 65 by three players Cameron Tringale, Kyle Stanley and Hiroshi Iwata.