Russell Knox posted a 6-under 65 during a windy opening round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic to hold a one-shot edge at the conclusion of Thursday's action.
The Scot was in the afternoon wave at El Cameleon Golf Course and pulled ahead of a large group at 5-under with his seven-birdie round. Knox missed a short par putt on No. 2 (his 11th hole of the day) for the lone bogey on his scorecard.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard stands after Round 1:
| Place | Player | To Par | R1 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russell Knox | -6 | 65 |
| T2 | Joaquin Niemann | -5 | 66 |
| T2 | Emiliano Grillo | -5 | 66 |
| T2 | Tom Hoge | -5 | 66 |
| T5 | Viktor Hovland | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Tony Finau | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Carlos Ortiz | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Brendon Todd | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Aaron Wise | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Nate Lashley | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Akshay Bhatia | -4 | 67 |
| T5 | Michael Gligic | -4 | 67 |
Joaquin Niemann was the first player to shoot 5-under and held a piece of the clubhouse lead for the majority of the day until Knox finished. The 22-year-old Chilean will donate all of his earnings this week to help his one-month-old cousin, who was born with a rare neurodegenerative disease, fight for his life.
Viktor Hovland and Tony Finau find themselves within striking distance early after 4-under rounds of 67. They are both looking to break the dreaded "Puerto Rico Open curse" and become the first player who has won the event to win a different tournament. Since its inception in 2008, Puerto Rico Open winners have never won anywhere else on the PGA Tour.
Notables Justin Thomas (1-over) and Brooks Koepka (even) got off to sluggish starts in Mexico.
Round 2 from Playa del Carmen begins at 7:10 a.m. ET on Friday.
