World Wide Technology Championship: Cameron Percy leads at 10 under after first round in Mexico

Americans Michael Kim and Nate Lashley, as well as Argentina’s Tano Goya and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas trail by two; Ludvig Åberg opens with a 68; watch coverage from day two of World Wide Technology Championship, live on Sky Sports Golf from 8.30pm on Friday

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Highlights of the opening round of the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal

Cameron Percy of Australia fired a 10-under-par 62 on Thursday to soar into the first-round lead at the World Wide Technology Championship before play was suspended in Mexico.

Percy holed a pitch shot for eagle at the 601-yard, par-five sixth hole and added eight birdies without a bogey to set the early pace at El Cardonal at Diamante, the first Tiger Woods-designed course to be used for a PGA Tour event.

Ten players still had one or two holes to finish in their round when play was halted due to darkness. They will finish their rounds on Friday morning.

Percy, 49, leads Americans Michael Kim and Nate Lashley, as well as Argentina’s Tano Goya and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas by two strokes.

“I hit the ball beautifully,” Percy said. “Didn’t hit it quite close enough coming in, but I had a few looks. I couldn’t make them all.”

Cameron Percy leads the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal

Villegas shot an eight-under 64 during the morning wave for a share of the early lead with Goya, before Lashley and Kim matched that number in the afternoon.

Villegas is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, but the most recent of those came in 2014. Despite embarking on his commentating career earlier this year, Villegas said he has been working hard on his game with new instructor Jose Campra.

“It’s been a slow year from a performance point of view, but it’s been a very hectic year from a working [one], so there’s been a lot of work there,” Villegas said. “It’s always nice to see a low score.”

Cameron Young is the highest-ranked player in the field and sits three off the pace at seven under

Matt Kuchar, 45, kept the veterans theme going with a seven-under 65, birdieing his last two holes to get there. He is tied with Cameron Young, the highest-ranked player in the field at 17th, and several others, including Germany’s Matti Schmid.

Kuchar won the tournament in 2018 when it was played its previous venue, El Camaleon Mayakoba.

Sahith Theegala, playing in his final official event of 2023, opened with a two-under 70 on Thursday. Michael Block, the teaching pro who finished 15th at the PGA Championship earlier in the year, opened with an even-par 72.

Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg kicked off his campaign with a 68, a score matched by Russell Knox and one better than the opening rounds of Harry Hall and Martin Laird.

Watch coverage from day two of the World Wide Technology Championship, live on Sky Sports Golf from 8.30pm on Friday.