European Tour report and scores

Brilliant birdie run takes Colsaerts clear in Italy

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Nicolas Colsaerts produced a sensational run of eight consecutive birdies as part of a flawless nine under par 63 to charge to the top of the first-round leaderboard at the  72° OPEN D'ITALIA presented by DAMIANI.

Starting his round at the 10th, the big-hitting Belgian fired eight birdies in a row from the 14th to the third and added another on the eighth to finish the day two shots clear of Francesco Molinari, Shiv Kapur and Kristoffer Broberg.

Colsaerts has not had a win since the Volvo World Match Play Championship in 2012 and sits 100th in the Race to Dubai after securing just two top ten finishes this year. But the Ryder Cup hero from Medinah insists his game is not that far away and was delighted to see things come to fruition at the Golf Club Milano.

The 32 year old had a good look to make it nine birdies in a row on the fourth but his putt from 15 feet just missed.

With preferred lies in play, Colsaerts' name will not go in the history books but he was just the 11th player to make eight birdies in a row on the European Tour – the first being the great Seve Ballesteros at the 1985 Italian Open.

Home favourite Molinari also started on the tenth and picked up shots on the 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th to sit four under after nine holes. A further birdie followed on the fourth but he gave the stroke straight back before finishing with three gains to sit seven under.

Kapur made the turn two under after a bogey and three birdies on the front nine but four consecutive gains from the 12th and another on the last saw him sit alongside Molinari and Broberg, who finished with five birdies.

The Swede was two under through 13 holes thanks to four birdies and two bogeys but his surging finish took him to seven under and into a share of second place, two shots behind Colsaerts.

Player Quotes

Nicolas Colsaerts: “It all felt pretty easy to be fair. We all know what it is like to catch fire and get on a run like that but I didn’t realise how many birdies in a row I had made until the sixth one, then I started to count them. I actually could have made nine in a row but the putt just took a little bobble at the end which took it offline.

“It felt like I could have birdied every hole today. I think I only had one really long putt but the rest of them were all pretty makeable and it was just one of those days.

“I have been playing quite well for a while and waiting for a round like this when it all comes together. Today it was great and it is nice to see the work you are doing paying off for a change.

“The course is not long and the back nine is very scoreable so I would be surprised if I was the only player here who gets hot out there. I think the winning score will be pretty low but that’s good – I think most people who come out here to watch golf want to see birdies and eagles.”
Francesco Molinari: “It was really good today. I played solid and hit a lot of fairways and greens which you obviously need to do around this golf course because the targets are quite small.
“It was especially pleasing to shoot seven under after four weeks off. I had done some good practice coming into this week, but when you have had a break like that you  are never 100 percent sure as to how you are going to play in a tournament situation.

“I hit a lot of good shots out there today and to finish with three birdies turned a good day into a great day. There is a low score around this course. If you hit the ball well and find the greens you are going to have a lot of chances for birdies.

“I love playing in front of the home crowd. I think that I am lucky to have won the Italian Open in my second year as a pro. A lot of people feel pressure playing at home but because I have won it already I think I can be relaxed and really enjoy it. I wish I could play in Italy more than once a year.”
Craig Lee is lying joint 12th with a 67. Richie Ramsay is in danger of missing the cut after a two-over 74.

Complete first round scores:
par 72

63 N Colsaerts  (Bel);

65 F Molinari (Ita); K Broberg (Swe); S Kapur (Ind);

66 F Zanotti (Par); M Foster (Eng); M Korhonen (Fin); B Virto Astudillo (Esp); L Bjerregaard  (Den); B Wiesberger  (Aut); S Mazzoli (am) (Ita);

67 A Perrino  (Ita); J Fahrbring (Swe); C Lee (Sco); M Nixon (Eng); S Fallon (Eng); R Kakko  (Fin); D Lipsky (USA); L Gagli  (Ita); R Karlberg  (Swe); R Wattel  (Fra);

68 A Quiros  (Esp); A Cañizares  (Esp); M Kaymer (Ger); D Willett  (Eng); P McGinley (Irl); P Lawrie (Irl); Y Yang (SKor); P Maddy (Eng); R Gonzalez (Arg); J Singh (Ind); A Hansen (Den); F Fritsch  (Ger); M Lundberg (Swe); J Scrivener (Aus); P Oriol (Esp); J Lara (Esp);

69 E De La Riva  (Esp); H Otto (RSA); A Pavan (Ita); R Karlsson (Swe); M Jiménez (Esp); B Hebert  (Fra); D Fichardt (RSA); S Cink (USA); M Ford (Eng); S Kjeldsen (Den); J Barnes (Eng); S Chawrasia (Ind); M Tullo (Chi); E Kofstad (Nor); W Ormsby (Aus); S Hend (Aus); R Santos  (Por); S Fernandez (am) (Esp); J Vecchi Fossa (am) (Ita);

70 S Hutsby  (Eng); D Drysdale (Sco); M Fitzpatrick  (Eng); J Morrison  (Eng); D Howell (Eng); M Crespi  (Ita); J Edfors (Swe); J Roos (RSA); B Evans  (Eng); A Maestroni  (Ita); T Fleetwood  (Eng); O Fisher  (Eng); D Clarke (Nir); C Paisley  (Eng); P Harrington (Irl); R Dinwiddie  (Eng); S Wakefield (Eng); R Jacquelin (Fra); A Levy (Fra); J Campillo (Esp); R Cabrera-Bello (Esp); M Manassero (Ita);

71 S Benson (Eng); J Lando Casanova  (Fra); M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra); V Riu  (Fra); E Goya (Arg); D Woltman (USA); M Bremner (RSA); R Bland (Eng); C Sordet  (Fra); J Van Zyl (RSA); A Hortal  (Esp); T Fisher Jnr (RSA); A Tadini (Ita); G Storm  (Eng); O Farr (Wal); J Parry (Eng); C Bouniol (Fra); T Van Der Walt (RSA); D Brooks (Eng); H Joannes  (Bel); L Scalise (am) (Ita);

72 D McGrane (Irl); F Aguilar (Chi); A Otaegui  (Esp); C Doak (Sco); J Kim (Ita); R Rock (Eng); D Gaunt (Aus); M Fraser (Aus); J Lagergren (Swe); E Pepperell (Eng); G Mulroy (RSA); G Bourdy (Fra); T Olesen (Den); J Kruger (RSA); R Paratore (Ita); E Molinari  (Ita); T Lewis (Eng); N Elvira  (Esp); J Hahn (USA); R Finch  (Eng); S Manley (Wal);

73 K Phelan (Irl); N Ravano (Ita); P Sjöland (Swe); B Ritthammer (Ger); R McEvoy  (Eng); S Thornton (Irl); S Hansen (Den); J Walters (RSA); A Bruschi  (Ita); P Uihlein  (USA); O Wilson (Eng); W Homan  (USA); G Moynihan (Irl); M Madsen  (Den); C Del Moral (Esp); L Cianchetti (am) (Ita);

74 N Quintarelli (Ita); P Edberg (Swe); D Vancsik (Arg); G Havret  (Fra); R Ramsay  (Sco); M Ortolani (am) (Ita);

75 J Garcia Pinto (Esp); A Velasco (Esp); N Fasth (Swe); C Lloyd (Eng); B Neil (Sco); M Delpodio  (Ita);

76 A Zemmer (Ita); M Florioli (Ita); P Widegren  (Swe); L Jensen (Den);

77 F Maccario (Ita);

78 L Magini (Ita);

80 C Rocca (Ita);

81 M Grönberg (Swe);