Day one digest: Amundi Open de France

Everything you need to know from day one in Paris.

A logjam on the leaderboard, a sixy birdie blitz and some incredible chip-ins were all part of the story on day one at Le Golf National.

Here is everything you need to know from round one in Paris.

Tight at the top

George Coetzee and Ryan Fox led the way after day one in the capital but there were 47 other players under par and sat within just five shots of the duo. Softer than normal autumn conditions at Le Golf National made for good scoring and Fox and Coetzee each dropped a single shot in rounds of 65. Benjamin Hebert delighted the locals with a 66 to sit one back alongside Kurt Kitayama and Richie Ramsay and there were 24 players at three under or better.

Walters keeps battling

Justin Walters is a one time European Challenge Tour and two time Qualifying School graduate who narrowly kept his card last season so he knows a thing or two about adversity on the golf course. This season, however, he has had ti battle it off the course as well after the sad loss of his father in the summer. Sat 121st on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex and fighting for his card again, he almost did not tee it up this week but an excellent closing 65 at the Italian Open spurred him on and he now goes into Friday just two off the lead. "Putting golf in perspective, I think that's been the hardest thing for me," he said. "The hard part is keeping it up and going but to be signing rounds in the 60s again is just a wonderful relief. It's lovely to uplift my family with some good golf and myself and just everyone around me, so it's nice just to play good golf again. There'd be few more popular winners on Sunday than Walters.

Joy of six for Smith

There are hot starts and there are hot starts. Jordan Smith began his first round in Paris with six consecutive birdies and all of them were from inside six feet. "The first six holes I didn't hit it outside six feet," he said. "I made all of them and obviously got off to a nice hot start. After about four or five I was 'get the next one, six' then got to six and thought 'let's get to seven'." The Englishman did cool off but still carded a 68 to sit just three shots off the lead.

No putters required

You don't play Ryder Cups and win 25 European Tour titles between you without having some serious game and on Thursday Martin Kaymer, Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters showed off some of their remarkable skills.

First Kaymer did this.

Then Noren did this.

And never one to be outdone, Pieters did this.

Well played gents.

It's all coming back

It's safe to say the scenes of just over 12 months ago when Europe claimed a thumping Ryder Cup victory here at Le Golf National will never be forgotten. Noren's monster putt on the last to beat Bryson DeChambeau 1up put the gloss on the 17½-10½ triumph and we got him - and a few others - to have another go at it.