Slovakia Challenge report and scores

Jack the lad seeks second Scottish success in 

Slovakia after 65 without practice round

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Jack Doherty shot the round of the day at the D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge, shrugging off the fact that he only arrived at the Penati Golf Resort on Wednesday to lead by one stroke.
In perfect scoring conditions it was Doherty who set the early pace, his morning 65 featuring eight birdies – six coming on the back nine – to hold a narrow advantage from Australian Daniel Gaunt and Dane Jeff Winther.
The Scot, who missed the cut on his previous outing at his home event, the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, only arrived in Slovakia on Wednesday evening.
Despite having never seen the course before, the 33 year old immediately took to the Legend Course, with tight iron control and nerveless putting suggesting this could be the week he claims his first professional win.
“I only flew into Slovakia last night so I’d never played the course before – maybe I should do it more often,” he joked.
“I was playing the course blind but it went pretty well. I just started hitting some iron shots nice and close, didn’t leave myself too many long putts but I holed almost everything.
“On the back nine I was in control of my swing and never gave myself too much work to do, and I pretty much holed everything I looked at.
“I’ve been playing quite nicely without really getting everything going, so it’s great to have finally shot a good round and put myself in a good spot ahead for the rounds to come.
“It would be great if I can follow last year’s winner Andrew McArthur and win this week. He’s a good mate and I’d love to make it back-to-back Scottish winners at this event.
“He’s playing in the Scottish Open on The European Tour this week, so it would be great if I can follow in his footsteps – this week the Slovakia Challenge, next year the Scottish Open.”
Winther played superb golf all afternoon, making five birdies and an eagle to tie the lead on seven under par before a dropped shot at the fifth, his 14th, halted his momentum and he settled for an opening 66.
The 27 year old’s strong showing came as little surprise after his fine finish in last week’s AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Hartl Resort, three rounds in the 60s earning him a tie for third place.
Gaunt is also just one shot back after finishing his round with five straight birdies, with Dutchman Wil Besseling and Finn Janne Kaske another shot behind.
The highest ranked player in the Road to Oman Rankings, last week’s champion Ricardo Gouveia, showed no signs of fatigue despite playing for the fourth straight week.
The Portuguese, behind only Sebastien Gros in the standings, won by four shots in Germany and picked up where he left off with seven birdies to lie in a tie for 14th on three under par.
Meanwhile Craig Hinton made a promising start to his professional career, the Englishman making five birdies on his way to a round of one under par.
The week’s biggest talking point, the par six 15th, playing a full 783 yards, did not seem to faze many of the players, ranking as the easiest hole on the course and yielding 14 eagles.

FIRST ROUND SCORES
 65 J Doherty  (Sco),
 66 J Winther (Den), D Gaunt (Eng),
 67 J Kaske (Fin), W Besseling  (Ned),
 68 J Girrbach (Sui), J McLeary  (Sco), D Ulrich (Sui), J Sjöholm (Swe), A Tadini (Ita), S Wakefield (Eng), B Etchart  (Esp), N Kearney (Irl),
 69 S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp), J Lima  (Por), T Sluiter  (Ned), P Howard  (Eng), R Gouveia (Por), D Stewart (Sco), B Virto Astudillo (Esp), S Walker (Eng), R Evans  (Eng), L Gagli  (Ita),
 70 S Tiley (Eng), N Ravano (Ita), A Knappe (Ger), A Björk (Swe), A Snobeck  (Fra), M McGeady (Irl), G Watremez (Bel), S Jeppesen  (Swe), J Guerrier  (Fra), J Fahrbring (Swe), J Heath  (Eng), B Åkesson (Swe), S Piaget  (Mon), W Booth  (Sco), S Fallon (Eng), R Enoch  (Wal), J Hansen  (Den),
 71 R Davies (Wal), R Coles (Eng), K Benz (Sui), G Lockerbie  (Eng), G Murray  (Sco), C Shinkwin (Eng , G Porteous (Eng), A Gee  (Eng), M Wiegele  (Aut), T Linard (Fra), C Hinton (Eng), E Cuartero Blanco  (Esp), D Huizing (Ned), L Claverie (Esp), M Schneider (Ger), N Quintarelli (Ita),
 72 N Lemke (Swe), N Raymond (Eng), N Bertasio (Ita), G Snow  (Ken), J Watts (Eng), P Tarver-Jones (Eng), R McGee (Irl), P Whiteford (Sco), E Bertheussen (Nor), J Rask (Swe), R McGowan  (Eng), S Heisele (Ger), C Ford (Eng), J Carlota (Por), R Pugh  (Wal), P Valasek (am) (Svk),
 73 C Sordet  (Fra), S Manley (Wal), M Delpodio  (Ita), B Stow (Eng), H Satama (Fin), J Makitalo  (Fin), S Hodgson (Eng), O Henningsson  (Swe), S Henry  (Sco), J Robinson (Eng), F Praegant (Aut), C Berardo (Fra), A Velasco (Esp), M Trappel  (Aut), D Vancsik (Arg), C Gloet  (Den),
 74 T Nemecz (Aut), G Woolgar (Eng), E Goya (Arg), O Stark (Swe), D Kemmer (USA), S Brown (Eng), J Glennemo (Swe), F Bergamaschi (Ita), A Romano  (Ita), B Stone (RSA), L Tintera  (Cze), P Widegren  (Swe), J Kunzenbacher (Ger), H Bacher (Aut), F Mruzek (Cze), C Arendell (USA), P Winther (Den), M Tauchert (am) (Cze), P Janik (am) (Cze),
 75 M Kramer  (Ger), S Echikson  (Bel), A Rota (Ita), N Kimsey (Eng), J Elson  (Eng), P Dwyer (Eng), J Gallegos  (Esp), A Eckhardt (Fin), A Ahokas (Fin), C Brazillier  (Fra), H Porteous (RSA), J White (Eng), M Brezovsky (am) (Svk),
 76 J Ross (Sco), J Billing (Swe), C Mivis  (Bel), J Huldahl (Den), D Foos (Ger), G Shaw (Nir), N Kristensen  (Den), D Coupland (Eng), J Zvarik (Svk),
 77 H Joannes  (Bel), R Whitson (Nir), S Matus  (Cze), A Hartø  (Den), L Motta (Ita), D Suchan  (Cze), R De Sousa (Sui),
 78 P Archer (Eng), P Figueiredo  (Por), C Suk (Cze , J Stalter (Fra), J Friesz (am) (Svk),
 79 X Ruiz Fonhof  (Ned), B Ritthammer (Ger), H Yamac (Tur), R Hahn (Hun), L Nemecz (Aut), P Gal  (Cze),
 80 P Relecom  (Bel), J Simon De Miguel  (Esp),
 81 J Hrinda (am) (Svk),
 82 Z Lombard  (RSA), A Korinek (Cze),
 83 A Rajmont  (Cze),
 84 N Meitinger  (Ger),
 85 P Dedek (am) (Cze),
 86 M Novy  (Cze)

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS