EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

Bebb blows cold - and hot - to lead by

two shots with an opening 68

From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
On a brutally tough opening day, in which only eight of the 45-man field broke par, Welshman Sion E Bebb established a two-shot lead at the European Challenge Tour's season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final.
With high winds and even higher rough making life tough for the European Tour hopefuls at the €300,000 event, which is being played at San Domenico Golf in Puglia, Italy, for the fifth consecutive season, Bebb’s three under par round of 68 shone like a beacon.
Bebb, who was forced to move hotels after his room-mates Stuart Manley and Sam Walker were diagnosed with suspected swine flu, is currently 16th in the Rankings, but has set his sights on breaking into the top 15 to ensure greater playing opportunities next season.
The Welshman’s closest pursuers include the English duo of Andrew Butterfield and Chris Gane, the French pair of Julien Guerrier and Alexandre Kaleka, the Scottish duo of Andrew McArthur and Peter Whiteford, and Australian Andrew Tampion, all of whom signed for rounds of 70.
Bebb, who closed with two birdies to cancel out his double bogey at the 14th hole, said: “I played really well on the front nine, but then suffered a setback with the bogey at the 12th, and then again with the double two holes later. I actually thought I’d hit a decent approach shot, but it came up short and ended up in the rocks by the lake. I tried to play it out but only ended up hitting it into the water, so from being four under par, suddenly I was only one under.
“My head was still spinning on the 15th tee and I didn’t play the hole very well, but I sank a 15 feet putt for par, and that helped settle me down. So I was really pleased to get it back with a good finish because I could’ve easily let the round get away from me, which would’ve been a shame after playing so well on the front nine.
“I’m probably slightly surprised to be leading by two, but with the wind, the deep rough and the narrow fairways, the course is playing very tough. It’s often difficult to find your ball in the rough, and when you do you just have to take your medicine and get it out of there with a wedge. But it’s the final event of the season, so it probably should be that way.
“It’s obviously a big week for everyone, me included. You try not to take notice of what the guys around you in the Rankings are doing, but it’s difficult not to sometimes. On the face of it there’s not too much difference between 15th and 16th place, but in reality there’s a lot of difference in terms of my category for next season. So that was the aim at the start of the week, and I’ve obviously made a good start.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
68 S Bebb (Wal) ,
70 C Gane (Eng) , A McArthur (Sco) , A Kaleka (Fra) , J Guerrier (Fra) , A Tampion (Aus) , P Whiteford (Sco) , A Butterfield (Eng) ,
71 S Manley (Wal) , A Marshall (Eng) , P Gustafsson (Swe) , F Calmels (Fra) , R Davies (Wal) ,
72 G Boyd (Eng) , M Wiegele (Aut) , O Floren (Swe) , J Lima (Por) , F Andersson Hed (Swe) , A Hansen (Den) , S Jeppesen (Swe) ,
73 J Quesne (Fra) , M Tullo (Chi) , L James (Eng) ,
74 A Wagner (Arg) , J Colomo (Esp) , E Molinari (Ita) ,
75 Å Nilsson (Swe) , R Steiner (Aut) , J McLeary (Sco) , M Zions (Aus) ,
76 J Morrison (Eng) , N Colsaerts (Bel) , R Coles (Eng) , P Baker (Eng) , C Rodiles (Esp) , J Parry (Eng) , S Walker (Eng) , L Gagli (Ita) ,
77 C Günther (Ger) , F Praegant (Aut) , E Ramsay (Sco) , A Gee (Eng) , F Fritsch (Ger) ,
78 R McEvoy (Eng) ,
80 G Paddison (Nzl)