Gregory Bourdy fires 65 to take two-shot lead at Lyoness Open
Saturday 13 June 2015 21:49, UK
Gregory Bourdy put on a ball-striking clinic as he got off to a flying start at the first round of the Lyoness Open in Austria.
Bourdy was in sublime form from tee to green at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg, missing only one green in regulation in a flawless seven-under 65 on the opening day.
The Frenchman birdied three of the first four holes and picked up another shot at the seventh in an outward 32, and he maintained his excellent iron-play on the back nine as another run of three birdies in four holes from the 13th lifted him clear of the field.
Bourdy parred in to record one of only three bogey-free rounds, along with Peter Lawrie (68) and Mikko Korhonen (69), and he ended the day with a two-shot lead over English pair Chris Wood and Robert Dinwiddie, while Carlos Del Moral and Maximilian Kieffer also opened with 67s.
"I am pleased with seven under, of course, but it actually could have been even more," said Bourdy, who has had three top-10s this year but none since the Tshwane Open in mid-March.
"It was a lovely day today. I played very solid and started well with two birdies in the first two holes and that always helps when you make such a confident start and something you need when you are going to have a day like I had.
I have played very well here in the past and it always helps when you have good memories of a certain golf course
"I knew that I could do well at this golf course because I have played very well here in the past and it always helps when you have good memories of a certain golf course. I have been playing well this year with some decent results.
Satisfying
"I wasn’t happy with the results I had in Wentworth and Ireland because I was full of confidence but didn’t finish well, so coming here and making a good start is even more satisfying."
Dinwiddie, who missed the second half of last season with a ruptured disc in his back, carded his best round in almost two years to set the early pace on five under.
The 32-year-old had missed nine successive cuts on his return until last week's Nordea Masters but finally found his form with an eagle at the opening par-five setting him on his way.
"It's the longest I've ever had away from golf," he said. "I didn't realise how long it might take me to get my game back but I feel I am getting closer and this round showed that a bit."
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Wood raced to three under with successive birdies in the middle of the back nine, having started at the 10th, but a bogey at the 591-yard 16th halted his momentum, although he recovered with three further birdies.
Kieffer's only dropped shot came at the 479-yard ninth as he joined the trio in second at five under, one ahead of a group which included Frenchman Gary Stal, whose mixed bag of a round saw him hole his second for eagle at the par-four third and add seven birdies and five bogeys.
But it was a shocking day for home favourite Bernd Wiesberger, runner-up last year, who admitted he played some "catastrophic" shots in a seven-over 79.
