Andrea Pavan made a flying start to the Rolex Trophy, carding a six under par 66 in the first round, ten days after bagging his maiden Challenge Tour title.
The in-form Italian, who started the season without a Challenge Tour category and recently won the Norwegian Challenge, took a share of the lead at Geneva Golf Club alongside Benjamin Hebert, the Frenchman chasing a hat-trick of titles following back-to-back victories earlier in the summer.
It was seemingly a day for the Challenge Tour’s recent champions, as Englishman Daniel Denison, who claimed the ECCO Tour Championship hosted by Thomas Björn and Mercedes Benz on Sunday, was joint third with a four under par 68, alongside Scotland’s Craig Lee.
Pavan, 22, said: “I’m played well today but I didn’t hole many putts. I was pushing them a bit. I only missed one green though, so it was very solid.
“My confidence is high at the moment after winning – I know I can do it now. And it’s nice to be in the lead again, but there is still a long way to go, and I know there will be good stretches and not so good stretches. It’s all about staying calm and limiting your mistakes.”
All four rounds of the Rolex Trophy are played in a pro-am format, with round one comprising two professionals and two Swiss junior players in each group, and the next three rounds consisting of one professional and three amateurs per team.
Hebert, who triumphed in the Credit Suisse Challenge and the English Challenge, welcomed the change in format.
“It’s nice to play with the juniors today and it mixes it up a bit,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way I’m playing at the moment and hopefully I can continue like this.
“I made two mistakes, a double bogey at the sixth and a bogey the next hole, so if I can avoid these errors it will be even better.”
Denison said: “I don’t want to say it’s an easy course, but I never looked like dropping any shots out there. It is quite tight and you have to use your course management to think your way around. The greens are the course’s defence – you have to make sure you put the ball in the right spots.
“Last week was awesome and it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’ve got a week off next week so that will be my chance to celebrate with a few mates back home.”
The field for the €218,000 Rolex Trophy comprises the top 41 players in the Rankings plus the leading Swiss player in the top 100, which is André Bossert.
