A year ago Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was considering a career in business but after a string of good results in the amateur ranks, opted instead to turn professional. The decision looks to be a wise one as the Spaniard posted a superb six under par 66 to take a one stroke lead the Telecom Italia Open at Castello di Tolcinasco Golf Club near Milan.
Five players lie just a shot off the pace at five under par at the end of a day disrupted by an afternoon thunderstorm which caused play to be suspended with half the field still to complete their first rounds.
Ireland’s Gary Murphy, England’s Simon Khan, Welshman Bradley Dredge and Argentine Sebastian Fernandez are safely in the clubhouse after rounds of 67 while Frenchman Francois Delamontagne was lying on five under with four holes to play.
Two years ago Fernandez-Castano completed a business degree in Madrid and it was only after winning the Spanish Amateur Closed Championship in 2003, being part of the winning team in both the Bonallack Trophy and the Palmer Cup and some good results in European Tour events, that he decided to join the professional ranks last September.
He immediately earned his European Tour card through the Qualifying School at San Roque to earn a place among the game’s elite and now finds himself leading for the first time.
For a player who has the rather odd superstition of always wanting to start a round with a par, the omens were looking good when he started with two before picking up the first of four birdies on his first nine holes, the back nine on the course. He picked up another shot on the first before dropping his only shot of the round on the sixth, his 15th.
But he saved himself for a grandstand finish, eagling the par five ninth after a huge drive left him needing only a seven iron to the flag, which he judged to perfection, the ball finishing just three feet from the pin.
“I have been hitting the ball well the last couple of weeks but the results have not been coming,” said the 24 year old. “This is a tough course, very demanding off the tee especially and I just tried to be focused on every shot and not think about the result. I played some very good shots and I’m delighted with the round.”
Both Murphy and Dredge have been working hard on their swings with the help of Bob Torrance in Murphy’s case and Claude Harmon for Dredge. They now seem to be seeing the rewards of their labours with solid opening rounds.
For Dredge in particular it was a stark contrast to his last competitive round when he shot 83 but after two weeks at home seems to have sorted the problem out.
Khan survived a roller-coaster of a round to join the group on five under. Having birdied three of his first four holes, the Essex player, who will be defending his Celtic Manor Wales Open title next month, ran into all sorts of trouble on the sixth.
A pulled drive left him deep in the punishing rough and even with a nine iron, he was only able to advance the ball four yards. He then got the ball back in play with a wedge, left his chip short, chipped again and missed the putt to rack up a triple bogey seven.
But he kept his head, eagled the ninth to get his round back on track and then made another three birdies coming home.
Fernandez also made a fast start with four birdies in his first five holes after starting at the tenth but his progress was slowed by bogeys on the 15th and 17th. Four birdies with another dropped shot on his homeward stretch completed a 67.
Dean Robertson , winner of the title in 1999, was among the group of players on four under par after a round of 68.
Mark Calcavecchia, Open Champion in 1989, may have had other things on his mind, such as his marriage later in the afternoon to his fiancée Brenda, as he struggled to a six over par 78. After his morning round, the couple were heading off to Lake Como to get married before returning for tomorrow’s second round. In a touching gesture Brenda, who was caddieing for her betrothed, wrote on two golf balls ‘I do’. Unfortunately Calcavecchia mis-read them and thought they said 100, and told her: “You haven’t got much faith in me.” The wedding did finally go ahead, albeit slightly later than planned as the couple got stuck in traffic.
Play was abandoned for the day at 19:00, two and a half hours after play was suspended. Play will resume at 7am when players will complete their first rounds.
