England’s Andrew Johnston birdied the last three holes of his opening round to set the pace on day one of the BMW International Open at Golfclub München Eichenried.
Last year’s Challenge Tour Rankings winner bogeyed his first hole of the day, but then took advantage of perfect scoring conditions to register seven birdies, including almost holing from the bunker at the ninth – his last – for a six under par 66.
That was one ahead of a group including former Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and English pair Tommy Fleetwood and James Morrison.
Johnston, who memorably celebrated winning a car for a hole-in-one during the BMW PGA Championship with an exuberant chest-bump with a friend in the gallery, was delighted with his start having missed the cut in his last four appearances.
“It was a good finish,” he said. “You've got to hit the fairways. The greens are amazing, so if you get on there and you're rolling it, you can hole some putts.
“You've just got to keep going and not get too down about it and not get too up when you're doing well and just keep trying.
"I try to be as positive as I can and just stay chilled.” Andrew Johnston
World Number Seven Stenson was among those to relish a return to more normal playing conditions after last week’s gruelling US Open Championship, carding an eventful opening 67.
Stenson, who shared the lead after the first round at Chambers Bay, carded eight birdies and a triple bogey to finish five under par.
Starting on the back nine in the marquee group containing home favourite Martin Kaymer and Ireland's Shane Lowry, Stenson made an ideal start with birdies on the 11th and 12th, but then contrived to take seven on the 319-yard 16th after his approach rolled back into the water.
The 39 year old bounced back with a birdie on the 18th and picked up another shot on the first before surging through the field with four birdies in succession from the fifth.
Another birdie looked on the cards following a perfect drive on the par five ninth, but Stenson pulled his approach left of the green and saw it bounce off a cart path into a hospitality tent.
After receiving a free drop, Stenson pitched to eight feet but was unable to convert the birdie chance.
“I was in a good position to finish with five in a row, but I think the wind switched a little bit and I was in between clubs and went with the longer club and ended up way in the grandstand,” said Stenson.
“It would have felt really nice to finish with a birdie on nine to make nine birdies and a triple to shoot six under, but eight birdies and a triple isn't too bad, either.”
Kaymer also enjoyed a stroke of luck on the ninth after his approach clattered into the trees and bounced out to the edge of a water hazard, from where the two-time Major winner pitched to five feet for an unlikely birdie and a round of 72.
Lowry, who finished ninth at Chambers Bay after starting the final round just three off the lead, found the same hazard with his second shot but got up and down for par to also shoot 72.
Fleetwood, who eagled the sixth from 20 feet, admitted his score could easily have been closer to 72 than 67, saying: "I got out of jail a lot. I played poorly for a lot of it and when I hit my tee shot on the third [his 12th hole] into the jungle it was really not looking like a five under par day.
"I finished strongly and hit some decent shots coming in but it was a struggle all day and rounds like that are great when you get something out of them."
