Malaysia’s Ben Leong, South Korea’s KJ Choi, defending champion Retief Goosen, Malaysia’s Iain Steel and Airil Rizman pose with the trophy during a press conference for the upcoming $1m event in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, yesterday. RIGHT: KJ Choi samples a local cuisine as Malaysians Ben Leong, Airil Rizman, Iain Steel and Retief Goosen, look on.

MIAMI: US Open champion Lucas Glover seized control on the first day of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf firing a course record six-under 65 yesterday.

Glover has a two-stroke lead over fellow American and British Open champion Stewart Cink at the Port Royal Golf Club course in Southampton, Bermuda.

Glover’s superb round included two long putts on the fourth and seventeenth holes.

The Grand Slam event comprises the four major championship winners of the year.

The $1.35m tournament wraps up today with 18 holes.

Stewart shot four-under 67, Masters winner Angel Cabrera had a one-under 70 for third place and giant-killer Yang Yong-Eun, who beat Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship, is fourth following an even-par 71.

Glover’s first long birdie, and second birdie of the round, came on the fourth hole.

“That was a hit-and-hope and it just went in,” said Glover. “It had to be 50, 60 feet.”

One of the few stumbles of the day came on the par-three No. 16 where he made bogey to drop to four-under for the day.

“It’s a shame because it’s so pretty but it’s so hard,” said Glover of 16. “I think we had a little four-, five-minute break there just taking it all in. We had a good time on that tee and we all hit pretty bad shots.”

Glover bounced back on No. 17 by rolling in a 30-foot eagle putt then parred the final hole.

“Stewart and I were joking, we both played well today, where was that last week, that kind of thing,” said Glover. “I didn’t hole much at The Presidents Cup, so pretty excited to see some go in.”

Leading first round scores: 65 - Lucas Glover (US); 67 - Stewart Cink (USA); 70 - Angel Cabrera (ARG); 71 - Yang Yong-Eun (KOR). 

Germany’s Kaymer returns early to money list fray

CASTELLO, Spain: Martin Kaymer has missed playing golf so much he will make an early comeback following from the foot injury that has sidelined him for nine weeks. The 24-year-old German broke his toes in a karting accident in the US after a sixth place in August’s PGA Championship had taken him top of Europe’s Race to Dubai money list.

“I’ve come back earlier than I should but that’s not because of the money list situation, only because I miss the game so much,” Kaymer said yesterday at the Mediterraneo club where he will play in this week’s Castello Masters.

“I just couldn’t wait to get back. The doctor has given me the okay to play so it’s just nice to be back out here.”

Kaymer does need to make up lost ground, though. He holds third place on the money list, 259,885 euros behind number one Lee Westwood of Britain.

Having established himself as one of the favourites for this year’s money list with back-to-back wins in the French and Scottish Opens, Kaymer feels he is by no means out of the race.