DeLaet leads and Rose hits ace as golf returns to Olympics

Reuters: Canada’s Graham DeLaet fired a five-under-par 66 to grab the early clubhouse lead but Justin Rose drew the cheers for a hole in one on golf’s return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence.

Taking advantage of ideal morning scoring conditions, DeLaet opened defense of the gold medal won by Canada’s George Lyon at the 1904 Summer Games, mixing six birdies with a bogey to sit one in front of Belgian Thomas Pieters on the clubhouse leaderboard.

Rose was two off the lead after six holes. When the ball went in, the 2013 U.S. Open champion aced the par-three fourth hole, breaking into a wide smile, raising both hands into the air and high-fiving everyone around him.

DeLaet was delighted with his own performance. “I’m happy, I don’t think I will be leading by the end of the day but you know I am the clubhouse leader at the Olympics right now so it feels pretty good,” said DeLaet, who is still chasing a first PGA Tour title.

“It was special, I was more nervous than I thought I was going to be, probably the most nervous I have been since the Presidents Cup. It was fun to be in that lead group going off.”

Under overcast skies, Brazilian Adilson Da Silva was welcomed to the first tee by a smattering of applause and the whirl from hundreds of cameras as media and officials greatly outnumbered fans sprinkled through a small nearly empty stand.

Da Silva was followed on to the first tee by DeLaet and South Korean An Byeong-hun, whose parents both won medals in table tennis at the 1988 Seoul Games.

It was an emotional moment for the Brazilian who broke into tears following his round, recalling how when growing up he made golf clubs out of tree branches