Shane Lowry is one shot off the lead after the opening round at the RBC Canadian Open.
The Offaly man carded a five-under 65 to leave him tied for sixth just behind a five-way tie atop the leaderboard which includes five-time major winner Brooks Koepka.
A blistering start saw Lowry birdie his opening two holes and he moved up to four under at the turn after gains on the fourth and eighth.
After a quieter back nine, he finished with a flourish with a birdie on 18.
Meanwhile, Séamus Power is tied for 120th on one over after a 71, with Pádraig Harrington two shots further back in a tie for 135th.
At the top of the leaderboard, Koepka shot a six-under 64 on Osprey Valley’s North course, as did Sahith Theegala, Eric Cole, Sam Burns and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo.
Koepka has been back on the PGA Tour since January after more than three years away with LIV Golf.
He has placed in the top 20 in six events this year, but a win this weekend would be his first in a standard PGA Tour event since the 2021 WM Phoenix Open.
Koepka shot a five-under 30 on the back nine with three sets of consecutive birdies, including 17 and 18, against one bogey. He was among the leaders in the field in putting, having made a 17-and-a-half footer for birdie at the par-4 ninth hole and a 19-foot birdie at the par-3 14th.
A bevy of players were tied at five-under 65 like Lowry as the final few groups finished up on Thursday afternoon.
That included Canadian Adam Svensson and Tony Finau, who is aiming to turn around a disappointing season and qualify for next month’s Open Championship.
The top three finishers in Canada, not otherwise exempt, will qualify for the Open at Royal Birkdale. Finau has yet to play in a major this year.
Other Canadians in the mix include Taylor Pendrith (four-under 66) and NickTaylor (three-under 67). Taylor was the first Canadian since 1954 to win his national open when he sank a 72-foot eagle putt to win a play-off in 2023.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who was on the wrong side of that playoff, opened Thursday with a three-under 67, as did countryman Matt Fitzpatrick.
Additional reporting: Reuters