Antti Ahokas battled through the Roman rain to shoot the joint-lowest round on the first day of the EMC Challenge Open at Olgiata GC before waterlogged greens led to the suspension of play.
The Finn has had a difficult season by his standards, his highest finish being a tied eighth place at the Swiss Challenge presented by Association Suisse de Golf, but thrived in the wet conditions, with his natural length an important factor.
The 30 year old, twice a winner on the Challenge Tour in 2008, was pleased with his one under par round of 70 that left him as co-leader in the clubhouse with Borja Virto Astudillo.
“It was a long day on a long course,” he said. “The weather made the course even longer than on the practice days, even though we had some front tees, so I was very happy with how I focused throughout the round.
“I think the conditions actually helped me to focus even better. I’ve had some trouble in the past in keeping focused but I think the tough conditions forced me to turn a decent round into a good round.
“I was thinking about how the shorter hitters would be able to cope with it. I’m not that short, so I was looking at the longer holes and thinking I could use them to go past the field, which I did, so I was very happy with that.
“I had to hit a lot of mid-iron shots after a driver off the tee, which is very unusual for me – normally if I hit a driver I just have a wedge or a short-iron in.
“I putted well too, a lot better than I have in months, which helped. I played well and shot one under par, which tells you something about the conditions.
“I just need to keep my head down and keep doing what I am doing. I haven’t played that well this year so I just hope conditions stay tough, to help me focus on my game and not worry about the bigger picture.
“I haven’t even thought about the upcoming tournaments or qualifying for the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in Oman. I’m so far down in the Road to Oman Rankings that I just want to build up my game again and go step by step.”
