Ondrej Lieser may have been having some sleepless nights but an opening 68 made sure day one of the 2021 D+D Real Czech Masters was the stuff of dreams for the home favourite.
Having been drawn alongside Major Champions Padraig Harrington and Henrik Stenson at Albatross Golf Resort, Lieser admitted to suffering from some nerves ahead of his 16th European Tour appearance and they were visible as he made a bogey bogey start.
A pair of birdies on the front nine got him back level at the turn but it was coming home that he really stole the show in front of a raucous local crowd.
He made a hat-trick of birdies from the tenth - capped off by a remarkable up and down after going left over a cart path on the 12th - and then birdied the 15th to sit just a shot off the lead.
Lieser became the first Czech winner on the European Challenge Tour last season as he claimed two victories but he admitted as he walked off the 18th on Thursday that he had just experienced "the most amazing thing to happen to me so far on the golf course".
Not the start he wanted but what a finish from Ondrej Lieser ✍️#CzechMasters | @workday pic.twitter.com/Ukb4qWHRgC
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 19, 2021
"What I felt, you can see on the first two holes - I hit the two worst wedges I’ve hit for a long time," he said. "I was shaking.
"Playing with these two legends, it blew me away. I couldn’t sleep for the last three days.
"It was a nice feeling; they were so nice to me. They helped me through after the tough start and then we all played solid golf. It was nice to catch them, make some birdies and from the fourth hole I felt comfortable being there with them.
"It was too much excitement at the beginning. Then I settled down. I felt pumped up when I was making birdies on ten, 11, 12.
That got the crowds going 👏 🇨🇿
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 19, 2021
Ondrej Lieser makes a miraculous recovery for birdie on the 12th. #CzechMasters pic.twitter.com/uu3nktghqR
"My caddie stepped in some wasps and got some stings on his legs on 12. Then I made a six metre putt for birdie after that, so it sort of eased the game.
"I’m going to spend at least one more day on the golf course with these two legends. That’s the most amazing thing to happen to me so far on the golf course.
"Some of the roars I had today - the 12th was the loudest.
"You can see the kids everywhere, I was giving them knuckles on every hole, they’re waiting for me now for some pictures. It’s unbelievable. The scenario of having crowds back, because I’ve not played in front of crowds for nearly two years, it felt amazing."
