Bubba Watson cruised Genzon GC on Thursday morning, making a 6-under-par 34-32=66 to claim an early one-shot clubhouse lead in the first round of the Shenzhen International.
The two-time Masters champion made an early bogey at his third hole of the day, the 12th, but thereafter posted nothing but pars and par breakers. There were three birdies in four holes at 13, 14 and 16, then he opened the front nine with a birdie-eagle combination at 1 and 2 before a red number at the ninth confirmed he would take lunch with a one-shot advantage over a group of four players. T29 and T8 on his previous visits to the course, he's made the perfect start to improve on that. He has posted a 65 and a 66 on the course in the past, but both times in the final round so he finds himself primed for a challenge in this tournament for the first time.
