Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines (France), Sep 22 (PTI) Indian golfer Manu Gandas opened with a disappointing 4-over 75 to be placed 132nd, and finds himself in a difficult position heading into the weekend of the Cazoo Open de France here.
Gandas shot in rather wet conditions with five bogeys against just one birdie on the sixth.
With the cut projected at even par, Gandas would need a very low second round score to make the weekend rounds.
The Indian got into the DP World Tour via arrangement with the Indian Tour, where he topped the Order of Merit.
Korean sensation Tom Kim handled the torrential early morning rain to post a bogey-free seven-under par 64 and take the lead on the opening day.
The South Korean, making his first appearance in France’s national open, was part of the morning starters who faced wet and windy conditions at Le Golf National.
Yet he leads by one from English duo Richard Mansell and Matt Southgate, Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren, who still has to complete his final hole, on six-under par.
With the driving rain proving relentless at the home of French golf, the 21-year-old made the turn at one-under par after starting from the 10th, but came alive on his inward nine, beginning with a quartet of birdies from the first and then a par at the fifth. Back-to-back birdies followed for him at the sixth and seventh before finishing his opening effort with a pair of pars.
The two-time PGA TOUR winner is closely followed by the quartet sharing the second place, and a further 10 players a shot further back in a tie for sixth, including Scottish duo Ewen Ferguson and David Law, Spain’s Adrian Otaegui and Dane Rasmus Højgaard, who finished second to Guido Migliozzi in this event last year.
History was made on the first day of the 105th edition of the Cazoo Open de France, Europe’s oldest national open, with Englishman David Howell equalling Miguel Ángel Jiménez’s all-time appearance record.
The five-time winner is teeing it up for the 721st time on the DP World Tour and posted a three over par round of 74 on day one.
Source: PTI News
