Graeme Storm and Richard Green share opening lead at Alstom Open de France as Martin Kaymer lags behind
From the perspective of a truly international golf event, the opening round of Alstom Open de France at Le Golf National, Paris turned out to be an Aussie-English affair with Richard Green and Graeme Storm finishing tied for the summit. Both players amassed
impressive scores of six-under, 65 at the scenic Par-71 Le Golf National in the suburbs of Paris and will be heading into the second round with a one-shot lead over the rest of the field.
Despite of their solid rounds, both the players owed most part of their success to South African George Coetzee’s late disaster on the last four holes. Coetzee was running away with one of his career best rounds of seven-under when he started dropping shots
towards the end of his round. Pulling in seven birdies, the 24-year-old stumbled with bogeys on 15th and 17th to drop down the leaderboard, sharing the third place with James Morrison and Thorbjørn Olesen.
Green also carded seven birdies, most of them coming on the back nine and stumbled with just one bogey at par-four, 17th to settle for six-under. Green is looking to end his win-less drought for the season and will be hoping to utilize his early
success on the €3,000,000 event.
“I played pretty solid golf last week in Germany and it's come through this week here, as well. I like the layout of the golf course very much, I like the way it plays bouncy. I tend to sort of mentally like difficult golf holes, and I think I focus a little
bit harder for that very reason,” said Green.
Englishman Storm, the 2007 winner of the event, pulled in six birdies in his bogey-free round to move into contention for the top slot. The 33-year-old is also looking to bag another title on the European Tour. His best result for the season came at the
season opening Iberdrola Open where he finished for an outright fifth. He has met success twice on the Challenge Tour.
He said, “There’s always added pressure when you come back because people say, ‘You won on one of the toughest courses in Europe and you obviously like it around that course.”
Asian star golfer, Thongchai Jaidee, who started off rolling in birdies in his front and back nine, fell in for a bogey towards the end to settle for three-under, 68. Jaidee, who has led the Asian Tour Money List for multiple years, is hoping to translate
his Asian success on a difficult European course, where he is battering the lows of 27 Degrees.
As for world number four and the highest ranking player on the event, Martin Kaymer has decided to continue with his stroll down the leaderboard and called off the day with an even-par, 71. He pulled in three birdies only to lose them with three bogeys in
his disappointing round. Kaymer will be definitely hoping to regain form before the third major of the season The Open Championship kicks off in July.
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