Golf highlights: Scott Piercy shoots 62 to take early lead at 3M Open with world No 1 Brooks Koepka five shots back
Scott Piercy upped the ante in the closing stretch to clinch a two-shot lead after the opening day of the 3M Open in Minnesota.
Reaching the turn on three under, the American fired off six birdies over the final eight holes to card a blemish-free round of nine-under 62.
A seven-foot putt for birdie on the par-5 18th edged him further ahead of closest rivals Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Hadwin, who tied for second on 64.
Piercy will be bidding for a fifth PGA Tour win and his first since last year's Zurich Classic.
Matsuyama, of Japan, started on the back nine and hit four consecutive birdies around the turn before dropping a shot on the final hole.
The five-time tour champion told the PGA Tour website, through a translator: "With a lot of hard work comes more confidence and good play - hopefully I can keep it going."
Canada's Hadwin also had a run of four straight birdies, with a bogey on the par-4 fifth hole the only blemish on his scoresheet.
Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, Patton Kizzire and Sam Saunders all shot a round of 65, while nine players finished a stroke further back.
World No 1 and four-time major-winner Brooks Koepka is five shots off the lead, mixing five birdies with one bogey for a four-under 67.
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