Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen was pleased to rediscover his form as a four under par 68 gave him a one shot clubhouse lead during the first round of the Madeira Islands Open – BPI – Portugal.
In a tournament already reduced to 54 holes after strong winds wiped out Thursday’s play, there was a further one hour and 40 minute suspension before the first round began on Friday morning and flooded greens forced an early finish with half the field yet to complete their rounds.
Hansen, who lost his European Tour card last season after failing to register a top-ten finish, birdied two of his first three holes after starting on Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra’s back nine.
And the 24 year old, whose best European Tour finish came when he was tied for third at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in 2013, kept a bogey-free card with further gains at the first and third to be the early pacesetter.
“I felt great out there and it’s a good start,” said Hansen, who graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2012.
“I missed a short one on the 11th hole for three birdies in a row to start but I feel confident with my swing and I know where the ball is going - I just need to control it in the wind.
“The course is nice, really good conditions, and it’s good they made the greens that much slower so the ball doesn’t roll in the wind.
“No bogeys was pretty impressive, I’d take that every day. I didn’t feel nervous out there and I just knew what to do.
“Last year I had problems with my short irons; I wasn’t hitting it close enough and I worked on that a lot during the winter. I changed putter at the start of this year too and that’s working really well for me.
“I just have the feeling that I can shoot any score right now and four under was a lot better than I expected. I think it is possible to go lower out there because I had 30 putts today and I missed a few short ones for birdie, but you can’t make every putt.
“I struggled last year, I just needed one big result – I made a lot of cuts but needed the top-ten finish to keep my card. It’s a big confidence boost - it’s very nice to feel the game is back to where I think it can be.”
England’s Andrew Marshall and French pair Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and Adrien Saddier were in the clubhouse at three under par, with Finland’s Roope Kakko and Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl on the same mark through 14 and eight holes respectively.
Saddier moved into contention with a remarkable run of scoring on the back nine – a run of 3-3-4-3-3-3 seeing him gain five shots in as many holes.
A bogey at the 16th threatened to spoil his round, but he got the shot back at the short next for a total of four birdies, three bogeys and an eagle to join Marshall and Gonnet in the clubhouse on three under.
“I had a great back nine,” said Saddier, who like Hansen has limited starts after missing out on The Race to Dubai’s top 110 last year.
“I made a really nice chip at ten and my game was really good after that, I made some good putts and hit some nice shots and I just needed to stay focussed shot by shot.”
Gonnet spent seven years on The European Tour, but after losing his card at the end of 2013 failed to break the top 100 on last season’s Challenge Tour.
And the 32 year old was pleased with his score in what remained tricky conditions after making six birdies and three bogeys.
“This morning was really tough with the wind,” he said. "I started at the tenth and it was terrible. I hit a fantastic drive, so close to the pin, and then bogeyed it.
“I played really well though to be honest; in those conditions it is a really good round. I played solid and it was just my day, I holed two chips in a row at the fifth and sixth for birdie.
“This is my first event so it’s not a bad way to start the season with a three under here. My game is in good shape, I’m back with my old coach, who I was with for a long time and things are much simpler for me now. I’m not thinking too much about technique or anything like that.
“I just want to enjoy it out on the course and that’s it. This is a big event for us on the Challenge Tour so you know you have to play well here.”
