After an opening day of prodigiously low scoring, it was 39 year old Francis McGuirk and a man 19 years his junior in Adrian Otaegui who came out on top after shooting magnificent rounds of 64 to lead at the D+D Real Czech Challenge Open.
In what was a day for the ages, Englishman McGuirk and Spaniard Otaegui sparkled on Thursday as the assembled field put Golf & Spa Kunetická Hora to the sword in benign conditions, with 94 players shooting level par or better.
Within one of the lead following the initial exchanges are Korea’s Sihwan Kim and Spaniard Carlos Aguilar, both of whom shot excellent rounds of 65, while a pack of six players lie a further shot back.
Following weeks of torrential rain in Pardubice – 95 kilometres east of Czech capital Prague – there was welcome sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures on Thursday for the start of the second edition of the Czech Challenge and the scoring was red-hot from the outset.
After starting on the back nine, Otaegui found birdies at the long 11th and par four 14th while a hat-trick before the turn – including a 35 foot birdie putt at the short 17th – saw the 20 year old San Sebastian native reach five under par.
Another gain followed at the long second before his only dropped shot of the day came at the third, where the former amateur star failed to get up and down from the dense rough to the right of the green.
Unfazed, he bounced back with another trio of birdies – at the fifth, where he holed a birdie putt from all of 50 feet, long seventh and short eighth holes – to complete a stunning round and capture a share of the first round lead.
“I played well from tee to green and made quite a few long putts which is always pleasing,” said Otaegui, who was mentored growing up by triumphant 2012 Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal.
“But my game was good in general and I’m obviously very happy with making such a great start.”
Otaegui became the second youngest full Member of The European Tour in 2012 after Italian Matteo Manassero after securing his card at the 2011 Qualifying School but struggled in his maiden term on the top tier of European golf.
However, back on the Challenge Tour in 2013, he has made three cuts in his four starts and is philosophical about the learning process.
He continued: “The only thing I want is to learn every week and keep improving every week and I just need to be patient. It is still very early so I’m looking at the bigger picture, the next few years.
“I’ve played a lot in the winter in recent years with (Olazábal) and I learn so much from him; both in terms of his golf but also the way he carries himself and the ambiance around him. He’s special and has helped me a lot.”
McGuirk, meanwhile, was flawless in his eight under par 64 in what was an exemplary all-round performance in the afternoon session.
After starting with four pars from the tenth, the Sutton man holed a 25-foot birdie putt at the par four 14th to kick-start his round and rarely looked back.
Close approaches yielded further birdies for McGuirk at the long 16th and par four 18th before he added another pair at the second and third. At the par four fifth he again holed out from more than 25 feet for birdie, knocked it to a foot for another at the sixth, before closing out in style as an eighth unblemished birdie of the day at the ninth saw the experienced Englishman rein in the young Spaniard.
“You could say it might’ve been better but when you hole a couple of 25-footers they are always a bonus,” said McGuirk, who also lipped out for birdie on a number of holes on Thursday.
“But I’m always going to take eight under. It’s definitely up there with my best rounds; I actually think it might be my lowest tournament round so I’m thrilled of course.”
Florida-based Kim was also bogey-free in his fine seven under par 65 and credited a 20-foot birdie putt at the fifth for jolting his round into life.
The 24 year old, who after missing cuts in his first three events of the season has finished tied 11th and tied sixth in his last two outings at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España and Telenet Trophy, birdied the long seventh before coming home in 31 shots thanks to gains at the 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th.
Alongside Kim in the tie for third at seven under par is Murcia native Aguilar, who raced to five under par in a front nine 31, before a bogey at the 14th proved the only dropped shot of the day as he signed for an excellent 65 of his own.
Part of the six-man tie for fifth at six under par, England's Matt Ford and Chris Gane have already had a long week, having contested in a regional PGA event in the South of England on Monday and Tuesday before flying out for the Czech Challenge.
Ford won the three-round event, while Gane finished in a tie for 11th, and neither man showed signs of fatigue in spirited rounds of 66 on Thursday.
Elsewhere, American Brooks Koepka, who thanks to two Challenge Tour victories in the last six weeks would secure promotion to The European Tour were he to triumph in the Czech Republic, started with a two under par 70 - only good enough for a share of 45th after what truly was an extraordinary day of scoring.
