Aaron Cockerill made a stunning start to the 2023 ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP after adjusting to the 16-hour time difference between Canada and Japan just in time to get a good night's sleep on the eve of the tournament.
Early starter Cockerill signed for an opening 64 on Thursday to sit one shot behind first-round leaders Kim Yeongsu and Andy Sullivan.
He revealed that he had been wide awake in the middle of the night in the build-up to the tournament, having travelled from his native Canada.
But he managed to sleep soundly on Wednesday night and it paid dividends out on the course.
"It's a 16-hour time change, so I’ve been wide awake in the middle of the night," said Cockerill.
"I'm kind of used to it going to Europe all the time. I slept through the night last night for the first time, so right on track for the rest of the week."
Cockerill made seven birdies and a solitary bogey in his first round and was delighted with his start to the week.
He said: "I made plenty of birdies, hit the ball close, hit a lot of fairways.
"It was pretty stress-free overall and obviously a great start to the tournament. It was perfect this morning, a nice temperature, very little wind.
"The course is in perfect condition. The greens are really good, some of the best we have played all year. If you get it on line it’s probably going in. It was a very nice morning to play golf."
