Seasoned Tsuneyuki Nakajima and second-year pro Tomohiro Kondo both fired 3-under-par 69 in a chilly rain Thursday to grab a share of a seven-way tie for first place after the first round of the Bridgestone Open.
Nakajima sank five birdies against two bogeys while Kondo, looking for his first pro title, carded six birdies with three bogeys, toughing out the brisk wind and rain at the 7,178-yard, par-72 Sodegaura Country Club course.
Also with a share of the lead are Tetsuji Hiratsuka, Yoshinori Mizumaki, Toshikazu Sugihara, Australia's Anthony Gilligan and Chen Tze-chung of Taiwan.