Beautiful Back Nine Puts Noren in Control in Costa Rica

Sweden’s Alexander Noren leapt into the lead of the European Challenge Tour’s Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open after staging a fantastic recovery over the Cariari Country Club’s closing eight holes. 

Noren was two over par through eleven holes of his opening round of this joint-sanctioned event with the Tour de las Americas, but notched six birdies on his back to the clubhouse to establish a two stroke lead over Argentina’s Ariel Canete, Frenchman Bertrand Coathalem and England’s Van Phillips.

Defending champion Kyle Dobbs of the USA, meanwhile, is joined by Argentina’s Miguel Carballo – the winner of last week’s Abierto Movistar de Guatemala – in six strong group of players on one under.

Noren’s back nine performance was made all the more exceptional by the fact that the strong winds that protect the Cariari Country Club in San Jose were gusting with considerable strength during round one. The 23 year old Swede, had gone to the turn in two over par 37 before sinking a marvelous 30 foot putt for eagle on the 12^th to spark his recovery.

Another birdie immediately followed the eagle and he went on to pick up further strokes on the 15^th, 17^th and 18^th greens to come home in six under par and move into the lead.

“I played kind of the same all day,” said Noren, who turned professional last year and finished third at the 2004 World Amateur Championships. “On the front I missed a few short putts and didn’t get anything going, but then I made a ten-yard putt at the 12^th for eagle, and followed with birdies at 13, 15, 17, and 18.”

“I just kept it low. Low and against the wind all the time, because it’s very quick everywhere, so you don’t want to get too clever with the wind.”

Coathalem holed out from 30 yards for eagle at the 12^th to get to four under par for the day, but then dropped strokes on the 14^th and 17^th took the wind from the Frenchman’s sails.

“I played a good round. Good chipping and good putting,” said the 20 year old Coathalem. “I lost a ball on the 14^th so made a bogey there but I played very consistent golf all day and am pleased with the opening score.”

After making four bogeys and two birdies over his first eleven holes, Canete charged home with four birdies between the 12^th and 16th. “This is a dangerous course. If you miss, you can easily get in trouble. Today my ball striking was good and I hit it close and I sank the putts. I stayed relax and it just happened,” said the Argentine, one of thirteen European Tour Members competing in Costa Rica.

Phillips, a former European Tour winner, joined Canete and Coathalem in a tie for second place, putting together five birdies and three dropped strokes en route to his opening 69.