FedEx Open de France - Day one digest

Everything you need to know from day one at Le Golf National.

Thorbjørn Olesen defied the rain, the Højgaard twins produced magic and the grounds crew worked wonders to drain the rain for day one of the 2024 FedEx Open de France.

Here is everything you need to know from Thursday's play at Le Golf National.

No practice, no problem

Thorbjørn Olesen made light of a preparation disrupted by the weather as he shot 65 to share the first-round lead. The Dane, who was alongside Jesper Svensson and Joe Dean after the opening day's play, birdied his opening four holes - as many as he had managed to play in practice, by his own estimation. "I think it was 24 hours of constant rain," he said. "I think the course held up amazingly. I'm surprised. I think I played four holes before today this week so I'm very happy with a 65 to start with."

It's a twin thing

Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard are two of four players who share the course record of 62 at Le Golf National - Nicolai achieved the mark at this summer's Olympic Games, as did eventual champion Scottie Scheffler. Shot of the day on Thursday was Nicolai's approach at the ninth, firing this bullet into the bank in front of the green to set up birdie and kick-start his round of 66 - leaving him one shot off the lead alongside Yannik Paul, Fabrizio Zanotti, Adrien Saddier and amateur Lev Grinberg.

Rasmus Højgaard - who made his 62 in 2022 to match Eduardo Romero's 2005 effort - was not to be outdone by his twin, chipping in at the eighth and almost repeating the feat at the 14th before settling for a 68.

'How?'

Torrential overnight rain in the Paris area had several players questioning whether the event would even start on time, but the course recovered and the efforts of the grounds crew and tournament staff were widely praised.

Teenage sensation Grinberg, a resident of the on-site dormitories as he develops his game with the French Golf Federation Academy, was one player to express his astonishment. "I was half-awake all night thinking there's no way we're getting out, I live here on site and there's no way," he said. "I went making some videos at 7pm on 16 and it was just a pond. It's amazing how you guys did it, the DP World Tour group. I don't know, yeah, how?"

Over the hill and far away

Svensson's share of the lead was built around good work at either end of his round, three birdies in the first five holes and then four in a row from the 14th - none better than this monster putt at the 16th...