Retief Goosen shot the lowest round in the short history of the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo Hotel and Golf Resort, but with preferred lies in operation due to the damp conditions, his ten under par 62 did not constitute a course record.
However that superb score, containing eight birdies and an eagle, did secure the first round lead by three strokes from Welshman Phillip Price and by four from a large group of players on 66 including Ryder Cup men Bernhard Langer, Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington.
Goosen, who tied for second in last week’s Belgacom Open, took advantage of the fine greens at Montecastillo to shoot his 62, which is one stroke lower than the 63 by Per-Ulrik Johansson in 1997 and Darren Clarke on his way to victory last year.
The South African, currently fourth on the Volvo Order of Merit, started with three straight birdies and reached the turn in 29, seven under par. He even three putted the long 12th for a par, but birdied the 11th, 15th and 18th to soar into the lead.
Goosen admitted that the possibility of shooting 60 fleetingly passed through his mind and he commented: “I thought I had a pretty good chance of that score. I played well, especially on the front nine, and I was putting a lot better. I worked on something on Tuesday. I saw I was doing something wrong in Belgium and now I’m trying to use my shoulders more.”
Price had set the early pace with his 65, thanks to an eagle three at the 15th with a 20 foot putt. He said: “It’s been a frustrating season since the Italian Open. My expectations were very high at the beginning of the season but I got impatient. When you are not patient it affects every shot.”
No fewer than six players were poised to make a move on six under par. Harrington, in particular, looked in prime position when he stood seven under playing the long 16th, but a double bogey seven proved costly.
On the same mark as Langer, Bjorn and Harrington are Steve Webster, Russell Claydon and Jamie Spence, who tied Goosen for the runners-up position in Belgium.
Webster turned in 32 but had to wait until the 16th for make further progress when he his a drive and five iron to four feet to set up an eagle at the 16th. Claydon, meanwhile, birdied three of the last five holes to make his score.
Spence, out in 31 with five birdies, dropped a shot at the 10th but birdied the 12th and 18th to join the pack on 66 while Bjorn had eight birdies in his round as he consolidated his recent return to form and position in the top 20 in the Volvo Order of Merit.
European No.1 Colin Montgomerie dropped two strokes on the way home to finish with a 70 while an eagle at the 16th enabled defending champion Darren Clarke to finish on 67, five under par.
Sergio Garcia, bidding for a third victory in his rookie season, and Open champion Paul Lawrie shot 69s with Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal on 72, the same score as Lee Westwood, who ran up a seven at the 12th.
