A flawless seven under par saw Grégory Bourdy move into a commanding position on day one of the Lyoness Open Powered by Greenfinity.
The Frenchman, who won the last of his four European Tour titles in Wales two years ago, carded seven birdies in near-perfect conditions at Diamond Country Club to establish a two shot lead.
The 33 year old has finished 18th and eighth in his previous appearances at the venue, and birdied four of his first seven holes en route to one of only two bogey-free rounds recorded on the opening day.
A further gain from ten feet at the 13th took him into a share of the lead, and he took advantage of both par fives on the back nine to open a two shot lead over in-form German Max Kieffer, Spain’s Carlos Del Moral and English pair Robert Dinwiddie and Chris Wood.
“It was a lovely day today,” said Bourdy, who has had three top-ten finishes this season and missed only two cuts. “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 today.
“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. 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.”
Kieffer’s recent form is even more impressive, with the 24 year old having made the weekend in all 14 starts this term and having finished ninth-27th-eighth-third in his last 14 outings.
Five birdies, the last of them from 30 feet on the 17th, and a single bogey saw him move into a share of second.
“I have been playing well recently so was quite confident coming into this week,” said Kieffer.
“I love playing in Austria and especially here at this golf course because it reminds me of a lot of the courses in Germany and where I grew up. The course is in great shape too and that helps a lot.”
Del Moral and Dinwiddie have both fluctuated between The European Tour and Challenge Tour in recent seasons, and the pair currently lie well outside the top 110 on The Race to Dubai who will keep their cards.
Del Moral had six birdies and a single bogey, and missed a five foot birdie putt at the 18th for the outright lead, while Dinwiddie eagled the long first in a round containing four birdies and a solitary dropped shot.
“I understood the course a little bit better this time around and 67 is a great score,” said Del Moral. “I played very well today and putted well too so it was great start to the week for me.”
Dinwiddie is playing this season on a medical exemption after missing much of 2014 through injury, and was pleased to post his best European Tour score for two years a week after making his first cut of 2015 in Sweden.
“That was very satisfying,” he said. “I got off to a good start and managed to stay positive and make a few more birdies coming in so it was a great day. I am slowly making my way back from the injury but it has been a long time.
“I ruptured a disk in my lower back in April last year which then affected the nerve all the way down my leg. The doctors recommended I take some time out and thankfully I didn’t need an operation but it wasn’t until November that I was able to hit balls again so it was a long break but looking back on it I probably needed a break from the game.
“It feels much better now than it has for about five years so it’s all positive apart from all the boring stretching I have to do.”
Wood, who won a BMW i8 for a hole-in-one en route to a fourth-place finish at the recent BMW PGA Championship, had six birdies and a single bogey in his round, and is now focussing on a successful week.
“It was a solid score,” said Wood, whose only European Tour victory to date came in Qatar two years ago.
“The conditions were perfect this morning but I have to say that after the conditions we have been playing in for the last three weeks it is great to come somewhere hot and where you can shoot a few under if you play well.
“I gave myself lots of chances today so it was an enjoyable day out there – I am looking forward to the rest of the week now.”
Besides Bourdy, Ireland’s Peter Lawrie was the only other player with a clean card as a four under par 68 gave him a share of sixth, while defending champion Mikael Lundberg opened with a level par 72.
