Eddie Pepperell insisted he was not thinking about the Ryder Cup after an opening 66 put him in an excellent position at the D+D Real Czech Masters.
The Englishman arrived at Albatross Golf Resort knowing that a win this week could move him into the automatic qualification places for Thomas Bjørn's European Team - although other things would have to go his way on the World Points List.
With just one more week to go in the race to get to Le Golf National, all eyes are on the potential qualifiers but Pepperell showed no signs of tension as he fired seven birdies and a single bogey in Prague.
“Apparently I could be close to the Ryder Cup Team but it’s not something I’m focused on,” he said.
“If I hit a bad six iron then I’m so angry with that that the Ryder Cup is well out of the mind, but that’s a good thing that I’m like that right now and I intend it to stay that way. I don’t feel any extra pressure.”
On Thursday, the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters champion birdied the tenth, 12th and 18th with a bogey on the 17th to turn in 34, before continued excellent iron play helped pick up shots on the first, second, fourth and seventh.
“I am happy with that,” he added. “I didn’t really have too many expectations this morning, I hit the ball badly on the range and my putter didn’t feel very good warming up so I was really surprised to shoot the score I shot. It’s nice when you come off the course pleasantly surprised in this game.
“Usually I’m a slow starter so to have given myself something to build on this early in the week is pleasing.”
One man guaranteed a place in Paris is Vice Captain Lee Westwood and he was happy with his day's work after he matched Pepperell in carding a 66.
“I played well all day, really,” he said. “I gave myself a lot of chances and on the back nine rolled a few putts in. It was nice to roll a few in and play well after four weeks off. I didn’t know whether I would be a bit rusty or not but my scoring was pretty sharp once I got going through nine.
It's certainly one of my best rounds of the year - Padraig Harrington
“It’s not the most demanding course when the weather is like this, you need a bit of weather. It was pretty easy conditions out here and the greens are immaculate so you’re looking for a low score on the first morning as the scores suggest, so it was a nice way to break into tournament golf again after four weeks off.”
Fellow Vice Captain Padraig Harrington had to endure a storm delay of over an hour in the afternoon but he made three consecutive birdies upon the resumption en route to a 66 of his own.
“The golf course was in perfect condition so you are always going to see a lot of low scoring,” he said. “I created enough chances and converted a few of them so I could have been a little lower but I am still reasonably pleased with six under.
“It was certainly an easy round. It could have been a little lower but it was an easy six under. It's certainly one of my best rounds of the year.”
