Aaron Baddeley is one shot off the lead on a jam-packed leaderboard at the US PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Classic in Mexico.
Baddeley blazed away with eight birdies in a five-under-par first round of 66 on the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course in Playa Del Carmen.
But a double-bogey on the 10th hole proved costly, leaving him just one of 13 players on the same score, with six players sharing the lead on 65.
The leaders were tour rookie Tony Finau, the first US PGA Tour player of Tongan and Samoan ancestry, plus fellow Americans Hudson Swafford, Robert Garrigus, Will MacKenzie, Steve Wheatcroft and Daniel Berger.
Among those tied with Baddeley were New Zealand’s Danny Lee, Germany’s Alex Cejka and American Davis Love.
Fellow Australian Greg Chalmers was two shots further back on 68 while Cameron Percy (73) and Robert Allenby (76) were well off the pace.
Berger had five birdies in a seven-hole span on his final nine to share the lead in his sixth PGA Tour start.
“This is what we work so hard for, so it’s great to get off to a good start, but got to keep it going,” said Berger.
The six-player tie is the largest after 18 holes since six players also topped the leaderboard in the 2013 St Jude Classic.
“I hit maybe two drivers all day,” Berger said. “It’s just kind of one of those courses where you’ve got to hit the fairway. Super tight off the tee, so just put it in play and you’ve got some birdie opportunities.”
The long-hitting Finau used his driver only once.
“I’m still able to use my length by hitting 3-woods and 2-irons and moving it up the fairway still where most guys would have to hit driver. I definitely wasn’t able to use my driver length, but I still use my length off the tee.”
The 50-year-old Love said he made some putts when he had to.
“I had four birdies in five holes in a little spurt in the middle of the round, and put the ball in play. I think that’s what you have to do here. You have to keep it in the fairway and you have to putt well.”
Defending champion Harris English closed with a three-putt bogey for a 67.
“It hurt on the last hole, three-putting, but I’m still going to take a lot of positives out of today.”.
Canada’s Nick Taylor, winner on Sunday in Mississippi, had a 71.
The tournament is the year’s final regular-season event.
