Things continued to go swimmingly for Simon Khan of England the morning after his BMW PGA Championship triumph.
Khan, despite “hardly any sleep” following the victory that changed his life, was up at 6am to prepare for the 36-hole US Open qualifier at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England, where he signed for a round of 67 to trail mid-way leader Niclas Fasth of Sweden by two shots.
Fasth, who made ten birdies and three bogeys, said: “It was a great morning – any time you make ten birdies, you’ve got to be happy. I putted particularly well from short to mid-range. It’s possible to go low out there in the conditions, which are perfect, but you’ve still got to make the most of it.
“It doesn’t come as a surprise that I’m playing well because I’ve been hitting the ball nicely lately, but that doesn’t always equate to a low score. Luckily for me, today it did.”
Playing in the group after Fasth, Khan was applauded by spectators as he stepped onto the tee. Asked if he was feeling fresh, the 37 year old replied: “Not really!”
But after handshakes and hugs from fellow players and caddies he almost drove the green on the New Course’s opening hole, chipped to three feet and moved to one under par.
Three-and-a-half hours later, after picking up a further four shots, a weary yet delighted Khan joked: “After a couple of glasses of champagne last night, it seemed like a good idea to play here!
“I always think you should have a go at this. It was all a bit of a blur on the range, and I must have thought about Wentworth every hole out there. I hit a couple of tired shots, but overall played pretty well.”
An eagle on the 506-yard 13th, where he hit a seven-iron to 12 feet, was the highlight as he started his bid for one of 11 spots on offer.
A total of 77 players were competing for them and Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie was in the field for the first time.
Montgomerie carded a two under par 70 on the Old Course, the tougher of the two layouts, and in hazarding a guess at what the qualifying score would be, said: “I need a 67 this afternoon, so we will see.”
That was the precisely score recorded by England’s Gary Boyd, who carded the lowest round of the day on the Old Course.
Boyd, who graduated from the Challenge Tour last year, is bidding to make his first appearance in a Major Championship.
He said: “I just hit it very well off the tee, really. I’ve been playing well the last four weeks but just not taking my chances on the greens. But today the putts started to drop, and if I putt as well again this afternoon, I’ll have every chance.”
Other former Challenge Tour graduates enjoying productive afternoons on the New Course include Welshman Rhys Davies and England’s John Parry, who carded rounds of 66, plus Frenchman Julien Quesne and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay, who signed for rounds of 67.
