John Bickerton of England and Australian rookie Geoff Ogilvy shared the first round lead in the Compass Group English Open at Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel.
Bickerton, beaten in a play-off for the Algarve Portuguese Open earlier in the season, delivered a superb eight-under-par 64 to match the score of Ogilvy, who had posted his 64 just a matter of 30 minutes earlier.
It was a magnificent effort by the Qualifying School graduate, whose grandfather is Scottish and who claims to be a long lost descendent of Scottish King Robert the Bruce of the Battle of Bannockburn fame.
Ogilvy attributed his good form to the electronic age. He explained: “I’ve taped my swing on a digital video camera and sent it by e-mail to my coach in Melbourne.
“We can phone each other up and talk about it at the same time. It’s pretty good technology! Very impressive.”
Ogilvy, who had six birdies and an eagle, was joined in the lead by the eight-birdie Bickerton, who spent several years struggling to retain his card before making a great start to 1999 in which he has earned more than twice what he would normally need to retain his exempt status.
After a difficult few weeks in which Bickerton reckoned he had lost his rhythm, he is a self-confessed ‘golfaholic’. While Volvo PGA champion Colin Montgomerie can take several weeks off, never touch a club then return to win first time out, the Droitwich player is the complete opposite.
He commented: “When I take a week off I play with the lads at Droitwich and my dad. I love it.”
Swede Mathias Grönberg, winner of the Smurfit European Open, maintained his new found form. He closed last week at Wentworth Club with rounds of 67 and 69 then opened with a six under par 66 this time.
He put it down to a chance meeting with putting guru Harold Swash at the Volvo PGA and the new liaison has already paid dividends.
A group of five players are on 67, including Ryder Cup player Sam Torrance, who bogeyed three of the first four holes but grabbed eight birdies after that to finish on 67.
Montgomerie, named as the Asprey and Garrard Golfer of the Month for May, could not quite locate the form which lifted him to such great heights at Wentworth on Monday, but he still managed to complete his round with a 70, the same as Nick Faldo who holed a monster putt for an eagle at the 17th.
Defending champion Lee Westwood also opened with a 70 and said: “I played quite nicely but putted badly.”
