Volvo Golf Champions: First round recap
European Tour kicked off with its latest event on the calendar year 2012, the Volvo Golf Champions at the breathtaking The Links at Fancourt, George, South Africa, with some 35 players from across the world who are playing in the event strictly on invite-only
basis.
Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts started off the day with stunning overall performance in the morning, running away with a course-record round of 64. He is now four shots ahead of the rest of the field and will try to capitalise his early gains in the rest of the
three rounds over the weekends.
"This is probably one of the best, if not the best round I have played," said Colsaerts.
Irishman Padraig Harrington, winner of three major championships, was the only serious challenger who constantly threatened Colsaerts on the leaderboard.
Harrington pulled in six birdies in the 17-hole stretch without dropping a single shot in the day, until he fell for a disastrous double-bogey on the last hole, to let go of it all. He had to settle for a disappointing joint fifth.
Harrington later lamented his loss on the final hole and said, "It was a very comfortable six under for 17 holes, but it's a nasty tee shot and that was a mental error."
The Irishman is joined in by 2010 Open winner Louis Oosthuizen for the fifth spot, who being a local player, knows the course like the back of his hand.
South African Grace Branden struck a superb five-under, 68 on the opening day to settle for joint second alongside Thomas Aiken and Tom Lewis.
Branden’s highlight of the round came at par-five, 9th when the burly South African pulled in a glorious eagle amidst loud cheers from the crowd. He carded some five birdies and stumbled on two bogeys before calling it a day.
Colin Montgomerie, who is also part of the field this week, finished for a humble three-under, 70 to stay in contention and is now settled at joint ninth along with Australian Mathew Zions. The former Ryder Cup Captain hailed Colsaerts’ performance on the
first day and said,
"Exceptional, but so is he. He is fantastic - potentially as good as it gets."
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, the top-ranked South African duo in the field are still to come up to the expectations of the local crowd, especially after Els has already accepted that the local players will have an edge on the visitors.
While Goosen has performed well in last year’s events, Els is still struggling with his form vows. He finished for a joint 11th along with Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jose Maria Olazabal, Frenchman Raphael Jacqueline, Hennie Otto, Garth
Mulroy, and Kenneth Ferrie.
Goosen is tied for 19th alongside Alexande Noren and Paul Lawrie.
Open winner Darren Clarke succumbed to another poor round of one-over, settling for a disappointing joint 24th but he was still better then the Masters winner Charl Schwartzel who finished for a joint 28th.
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