Australian Rick Kulacz has begun the CJ Invitational with a six-under 65 to sit one shot behind first-round leader Ryan Yip of Canada. Kulacz led the Asian Tour event after the early session at Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Club on Thursday but Yip managed seven birdies in the afternoon for a bogey-free 64. Yip heads into the second round in Korea leading on seven-under, while Kulacz and Thailand&aposs Thaworn Wiratchant are tied for second, one shot behind. At even-par after six holes, Kulacz birdied the last three on the front nine and continued that momentum with another birdie on the 10th. Birdies on the 16th and 18th holes completed the 27-year-old&aposs 65, and he was thrilled to be placed so well after a tough day with his approach shots. “I&aposll definitely take that score because my shots to the green weren&apost too good and I got six of my birdies from pretty close range,” Kulacz told the Asian Tour&aposs website. “When I hit a good shot, it was good and but when it was bad, it was really bad.” South Korea&aposs Lee Dong-hwan sits at five-under, while a group of seven players, including Australia&aposs Adam Blyth, are a further shot off the pace at four-under. Blyth started his opening round with four birdies on the front nine, including three in a row to begin. But three bogeys and two birdies on the back nine saw the 30-year-old stall on his way back to the clubhouse.
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