Day one digest: 2022 Catalunya Championship

Everything you need to know from day one in Spain.

There was a trio at the top, Antonio got things under way, Li was maintaining momentum and Thomas was Bjørn again on day one of the 2022 Catalunya Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from Thursday at PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness.

Trio at the top

Darren Fichardt and Jeff Winther made late charges up the leaderboard to join Oliver Bekkerat the summit after day one. In-form South African Bekker had set the target at six under with a 66 and as the wind got up in the afternoon, it did not look like he would be caught. But countryman Fichardt reeled off six birdies in eight holes after the turn to pass him, only for a double-bogey on the last to drop him back alongside Bekker and Winther, who made four birdies in five holes from the 11th. German Sebastian Heisele, China's Li Haotong and Englishman James Morrison were then at five under.

History-man Garrido hits opening shot

The DP World Tour is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and on Thursday morning there was a special moment for its first ever winner. On April 15, 1972, Antonio Garrido lifted the trophy at the Open de España and 50 years and 13 days later he struck the opening tee shot at the inaugural Catalunya Championship. “I feel different, I was less nervous then (winning in 1972) than I am now,” said Garrido, who received a warm ovation when he was introduced on the first tee. A wonderful moment for the 78-year-old.

Hot Li feeling cool

Li was delighted to maintain his recent momentum as he fired an impressive 67 to get to five under. The two-time DP World Tour winner endured a disappointing 2021, registering 12 missed cuts and a withdrawal from his first 13 events, making just two weekends all season as he finished 208th on the Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. A second-placed finish on home soil at the Volvo China Open in December seemed to kickstart his game, however, and he has since secured top-tens at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic and at last week's ISPS Handa Championship in Spain. "Right now I’m playing calm and I know where my ball is going," he said. "It’s a pretty cool position to be in."

Bjørn is born again

At 51, 2018 Ryder Cup skipper Thomas Bjørn is now making some appearances on the Legends Tour and with great success, lifting the trophy at the Irish Legends presented by the McGinley Foundation. But on Thursday the great Dane proved he can still mix it with the young guns as he fired an impressive 69 to match countrymen Thorbjørn Olesen - who played on his Ryder Cup team - and Nicolai Højgaard, who is 30 years his junior. He's still got it.

Not all pars are equal

When you find a cart path off the tee and have to play your second from the trees, you might be willing to keep it to a bogey and move on. Bernd Wiesberger was inches from holing out for a birdie.