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Reitan and Tabuena lead the way in Perth
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Reitan and Tabuena lead the way in Perth

Kristoffer Reitan and Miguel Tabuena carded opening rounds of 65 to share the lead after day one of the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth.

Kristoffer Reitan

The innovative event is making its third appearance in the Race to Dubai, with three rounds of stroke play cutting the field before the top 24 players go head-to-head in six hole knockout match play on Sunday to decide a winner.

Out in the first group of the day off the tenth, Tabuena made eight birdies in his opening nine holes to tie a European Tour record and added another gain on the first before two bogeys moved him to seven under at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.

Reitan came through all three stages of the Qualifying School as an amateur last year and the Norwegian carded eight birdies and a bogey to join Tabuena at the summit in just his fifth event since turning professional.

Both men carded their lowest rounds on the European Tour to sit two shots ahead of New Zealander Benjamin Campbell and England's Richard McEvoy.

Tabuena's incredible start had him in a handsome lead and an approach to four feet on the 18th ensured his nine holes were just one shot away from a European Tour record for both score and score to par.

Another gain from eight feet on the first had him five shots ahead but he found sand off the tee on the par three fifth and a flyer out of the rough on the ninth brought a second bogey.

"A win? Oh my gosh, it would mean everything," he said. "To play full time on the European Tour is a goal for me."

Reitan birdied the first, fifth and seventh with a bogey on the sixth to turn in 34 and then made gains on the 11th, 13th and 14th. A 15-footer on the 16th had him within one of the lead and when he holed from 20 feet on the last, he was in a share of top spot.

"I'm really happy with that round," he said. "Played some good golf tee to green and holed some putts as well, so I'm really happy about the round.

"I'm just trying to learn every week. Even if I play really badly I'm trying to learn something and, if I play well, it might be because I've learned something. So I'm just trying to learn as much as I can from every tournament and try to unlock my best golf."

Porsche European Open champion McEvoy birdied the 11th, 14th and 15th but gave two shots back on the 16th and 17th before making further gains on the 18th, first, third and seventh.

Campbell turned in level par 36 from the tenth with three birdies and three bogeys but then came roaring home with gains on the first, second, sixth, seventh and ninth.

India's S S P Chawrasia was playing alongside Tabuena and the four-time European Tour winner was bogey-free with gains on the tenth, 14th, second and sixth to get to four under.

New Zealander Ryan Fox was also bogey-free with birdies on the third, fourth, seventh and 15th, while Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey made birdies on the 13th, 14th, 15th, second, fifth and ninth but dropped shots on the first and sixth.

Swedish Qualifying School graduate Anton Karlsson also had six birdies and two bogeys, with Australian pair Nick Flanagan and Brad Kennedy completing the group three shots off the lead.

Frenchman Grégory Bourdy was at three under alongside Australians Daniel Gale, Matthew Griffin, Matt Jager and Deyen Lawson.

There was then a large group at two under including last week's winner David Law, Belgian Thomas Pieters and in-form Australian Jason Scrivener.

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