Ricky Barnes was the next best thing in world golf less than a decade ago. He had a powerful swing, helped the US to the Eisenhower Trophy in 2002 and had the body of a prize fighter.
But the very reason he was hailed as a future star - his power-packed swing - engineered a downfall that left him in the Nationwide Tour for five years.
Now, the 2002 US Amateur National champion is ready to come back and he proved this by taking the first-round lead at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic at the Mines Resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Barnes has tasted glory in Malaysia before. It was where he led the US to that Eisenhower triumph. And to show that he is taking more control of his swing, he recorded 17 greens in regulation as he shot eight-under-par 63 to lead by one over Ryan Moore.
Earlier this year, Barnes spoke to golf.com about how he has tried to tone down his "athletic" golf swing so he is able to give himself a chance at the green on his second shot.
"I've been trying to make sure that my lower body is moving with my upper body. By getting my upper and lower body more synchronized, it's helpd my iron play and drives, which has taken a lost of stress off my short game," he was quoted as saying.
He also talked about strengthening his lower body during workouts.
"I'm mostly trying to strengthen my legs," he told golf.com in an April interview. "(My legs) are a lot skinner proportionately to my upper body. I'm trying to get a good base under myself.
"I have a lot of lower body action, so if I'm able to maintain the strength in that prt of my body with upper body, then everything is going to match up in the swing. If the ratio is 70/30, then I'm going to have a tough time timing my downswing."
South African Ernie Els was four strokes behind on 67 in the first-ever PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia along with four others, including England's Luke Donald, while another Ryder Cup player, Rickie Fowler was a farther stroke adrift.
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