Solid O’Hara has the edge in Kazakhstan

From PAUL SYMES, Challenge Tour Press Officer
Scotland’s Steven O’Hara edged one step closer to a place on The European Tour with an opening round of 66 at the Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour.
Other Scots in the leading 10 are Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay and David Drysdale on the 68 mark.
Despite closing with a bogey at Nurtau Golf Club in Almaty, Kazakhstan, O’Hara leads the chasing pack by one stroke on six under par. With €430,000 up for grabs – more than twice the amount of many events on this season’s Schedule – O’Hara could not have picked a better time to compile his lowest opening round of the year.
The Scot, currently 14th in the Challenge Tour Rankings, said:
“I played well in China last week, and carried that form into this week. I got going with a birdie on the first, and didn’t look back. It could’ve been even better, but I got a bit unlucky on the last when my ball rolled into a hole and I could only move it 20 yards forward. But other than that, I’d have to be very pleased with my round.
"I drove the ball well and putted very nicely, which is a pretty good combination. So it’s a great start to a big week. If I can finish in the top five here, my card for next season would be all but guaranteed.”
Two-time winner Seve Benson of England is already guaranteed his card for The 2009 European Tour International Schedule, but the 21 year old – currently third in the Rankings – has targeted the Number One spot in order to secure a place at the HSBC Champions in November.
The Wentworth Academy graduate did his chances no harm at all with a round of 67 which moved him to five under par, alongside fellow Englishman Adam Gee, Ireland’s Colm Moriarty, Brazil’s Alexandre Rocha and Belgium’s Nicolas Vanhootogem.
Benson said: “I played really well from tee to green, and got up and down when I had to. One bad drive on the seventh hole cost me a double bogey, but I bounced back with a birdie, which is always pleasing. It’s a great course – tough but fair.”
His compatriot Gee echoed those sentiments after a round of 67 which featured a sixth hole eagle – appropriately enough, given that the 27 year old had taken a trip to a local eagle sanctuary the day before.
Gee, who underwent a skin graft after a serious car crash ten years ago, said: “I’ve had two pretty special days now. After holding a huge eagle, I felt ready for anything today! It’s nice to shoot a low round on the first day, particularly in such an important tournament. I’ve got myself into some decent positions before, only to hit a brick wall – hopefully I can get through the wall this week.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 S O’Hara (Sco).
67 A Rocha (Bra), C Moriarty (Irl), S Benson (Eng), G Molteni (Ita), A Gee (Eng), N Vanhootegem (Bel).
68 A Bruschi (Ita), R McEvoy (Eng), A Hansen (Den), R Ramsay (Sco), G Lockerbie (Eng) ; L Bond (Wal) ; F Calmels (Fra) ; E Goya (Arg), D Drysdale (Sco), T Cruz (Por) ; S Davis (Eng) ; M Morris (Eng).
69 J Larsen (Nor) ; J Blixt (Swe) ; J Little (Eng) ; S Delagrange (Fra) ; B Wiesberger (Aut) ; A Tadini (Ita) ; T Feyrsinger (Aut) ; P Kaensche (Nor) ; L James (Eng) ; G Shaw (Nir) ; D Horsey (Eng) ; M Soffietti (Ita) ; W Besseling (Ned).
70 R Coles (Eng) ; G Acosta (Arg) ; M Ruiz (Par) ; K Jorgensen (Den) ; T Karjalainen (Fin) ; L Brovold (Nor) ; R Steiner (Aut) ; J Sjoholm (Swe) ; J Clément (Sui) ; M McGeady (Irl) ; M Haastrup (Den) ; A Bossert (Sui) ; C Monasterio (Arg).
71 I Van Weerelt (Ned) ; M Reale (Ita) ; G Hutcheon (Sco), J Morrison (Eng) ; I Pyman (Eng) ; R Karlberg (Swe) ; S Jeppesen (Swe) ; C Brazillier (Fra) ; C Russo (Fra) ; A Marshall (Eng) ; R Cabrera Bello (Esp) ; B Pettersson (Swe) ; D Carter (Eng) ; R Santos (Por) ; S Alker (Nzl) ; A Ahokas (Fin) ; C Del Moral (Esp) ; I Garbutt (Eng) ; R Treis (Ger) ; T Ferreira (RSA) ;
72 A Bernadet (Fra) ; S Browne (Irl) ; B Evans (Eng) ; J Huldahl (Den) ; G Clark (Eng) ; R Gonzalez (Arg) ; J Parron (Esp) ; J Quesne (Fra) ; C Gane (Eng) ; J Wade (Aus) ; A Högberg (Swe), A McArthur (Sco), J Morgan (Eng) ; K Eriksson (Swe) ; S Robinson (Eng) ; L Saltman (Sco) ; M Rodriguez (Arg) ; J Makitalo (Fin) ; M Cort (Eng) ; C Nilsson (Swe) ; R De Sousa (Sui) ; E Rush (Eng) ; A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) ; M King (Eng) ; J Heath (Eng) ;
73 J Haeggman (Swe) ; O David (Fra) ; T Remkes (Ned) ; L Gagli (Ita) ; A Willey (Eng) ; B Grace (RSA) ; M Higley (Eng) ; R Kakko (Fin) ; L Dodd (Eng) ; E Johansen (Nor) ; M Tullo (Chi) ; T Milford (Eng) ; M Hoey (Nir) ;
74 G Clark (Eng) ; B Mason (Eng) ; A Snobeck (Fra) ; A Salto (Esp) ; G Wolstenholme (Eng) ; M Zions (Aus) ; A Tampion (Aus) ; B Miarka (Ger) ; A Butterfield (Eng) ;
75 G Boyd (Eng) ; S Juul (Den) ; M Korhonen (Fin) ; R Bland (Eng) ; G Maybin (Nir) ;
76 M Monguzzi (Arg) ; G Rojas (Arg) ; K Sullivan (Wal) .
77 E Ramsay (Sco), S Saavedra (Arg) ; S Dong (Kor) ; M Pilkington (Wal).
78 J Billot (Fra) ; A Afanasev (Kaz) ; O Floren (Swe).
81 J Sköld (Swe).
84 A Nesterov (Rus).;
86 A Lagay (Kaz).
89 E Bashikov (am) (Kaz) ; A Vongay (am) (Kaz).