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Y.E. Yang of South Korea rolled in eight birdies, including two on his final three holes, to shoot a 6-under-par 65 and take the first-round lead at the Ascension Charity Classic on Friday in St. Louis.

Yang started his day with five birdies and a bogey on the back nine of Northwood Hills Country Club. After birdieing the par-5 second hole and bogeying the par-4 sixth, he responded with a birdie at the par-3 seventh and another at the par-5 eighth to move ahead of the pack.

Yang is one shot in front of a five-way tie for second at 5-under 66: Boo Weekley, Kevin Sutherland, Tim O’Neal and Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez and Angel Cabrera.

“It was windy, but luckily the greens were soft so I was able to shoot a good number out there today,” Yang said.

The 52-year-old best known for beating Tiger Woods to win the 2009 PGA Championship has yet to win on the PGA Tour Champions. But he placed second at this event in 2022 and tied for third last year.

He said the hilly course reminds him of what he tends to play back in South Korea.

“I know the course well,” Yang said. “I’m pretty comfortable with the golf course. I think that I can play very well on the weekend.”

Sutherland, who finished runner-up last year behind Steve Flesch, eagled the par-5 second hole Friday and added four birdies to get to 6 under through 11 holes before making his one and only bogey down the stretch.

Gonzalez had the only bogey-free round among the top six players.

Justin Leonard, Ken Tanigawa, Stewart Cink and Australia’s Steve Allan are tied at 4-under 67. John Daly is part of a massive group tied at 3-under 68. Flesch opened with a 1-under 70.

–Field Level Media