The Spanish pair of Carlos Aguilar and Pablo Larrazabal joined Scotland’s David Drysdale in a tie for the lead on four under par at the European Challenge Tour’s Peugeot Challenge R.C.G El Prat in Barcelona after all three men produced opening rounds of 68 on this, one of the toughest courses on the 2006 Challenge Tour Schedule.
Drysdale produced the most remarkable performance of the three leaders as he burst through the first round field and stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a stunning run of five consecutive birdies. Drysdale began his round on the back nine, dropping a stroke on the 223 yard par three13th and then picking one up immediately on the 14th green.
It all looked to be turning into an average round as the 31 year old Scot ‘turned’ in level par 36, but then everything that could go right did go right in the space of five holes as Drysdale turned the screw and notched five birdies on the spin.
He then saw some if that great work undone by a bad break on the par four eighth hole that saw his ball land behind a tree and forced him to make double bogey. But he bounced back, closing his round off with his seventh birdie of the day to join Aguilar and Larrazabal in the lead.
“It was a bit of a round of two halves,” joked Drysdale. “There wasn’t much happening on the back nine in terms of scoring and then I just managed to put together five great holes in the middle of the round.
“I’m happy to be up there in the lead. It’s been a long time since I got myself into the lead at an event, and, although we have three rounds still to play, it feels good to be up there again.”
Larrazabal, who is attached to the Real Club de Golf El Prat, got off to a slow start by dropping a stroke on the third hole, but he refused to let that early set back affect him. Instead, he rallied and, clearly buoyed by his local knowledge, the Spaniard sank a 20 foot birdie putt on the sixth and then rammed another one home from double that distance on the seventh to go one under for the round.
Further birdies on the ninth and 12th holes were tempered by a bogey on the 13th, but he finished strongly with a further two birdies at the 14th and 17th to get to four under.
“I played ok today,” said Larrazabal, “and to start with a score of four under par around this course is very pleasing. Up until I got to the sixth hole today I did not feel good about my game. I missed a few short putts and left a few shots out on the course, but after that I played well and made some great birdies – especially on 17.”
Aguilar has won already this season – when the Third Level European Professional Development Tour visited Spain earlier in the year. The 23 year old from Alicante put on a steady first round performance that he hopes to emulate over the next three days.
“I played really really well,” he said. “I played sensible golf and I was especially pleased with the way that I played the par fives today because I made some straightforward birdies there and that is very important on a course like this.”
There are no less than six players within a single stroke of the leaders, namely, current Challenge Tour Number One Johan Axgren of Sweden, Oskar Bergman – also of Sweden – England’s James Hepworth, Welshman Stuart Manley, Spain’s Daniel Quiros and Sam Walker of England.
