INCHEON, South Korea — Antoine Rozner shot a 9-under 63 to lead the Korea Championship by four strokes after the first round of the European tour event Thursday.
The bogey-free round tied the lowest in the Frenchman’s professional career and contained nine birdies at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, including six in his first nine holes.
“It was a pure day of golf,” Rozner said, “one of those days when you wish you could play like this all the time.”
Rozner’s three European tour wins have come since 2020. One was this season, at the Mauritius Open in December, and he has three top-10 finishes in 2023.
Park Sang-hyun of South Korea and Andy Sullivan of England were tied for second place after rounds of 67.
Five players were in a share of fourth place a further stroke behind: Alexander Knappe and Yannik Paul of Germany, Alexander Bjork of Sweden, Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, and Lee Hyung-joon of South Korea.