Greig Hutcheon lets it slip with three late
bogeys for a 71 at Wentworth
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Joost Luiten continued his excellent
recent form to join Scott Hend and Y E Yang at the top of the
leaderboard late on the opening day of the BMW PGA Championship at
Wentworth Club, Surrey.
The Dutchman, who has had eight top-15 finishes from 11 starts this
season, found the green in two at the par-five last and two–putted for a
ninth birdie of the day, having bogeyed the first and 16th – the latter
after finding a bunker.
Masters Tournament champion Danny Willett carded six birdies in a
flawless 66 to lie just one off the pace, with Richard Green, Robert
Rock and Jaco van Zyl in the clubhouse on five under.
Hend, who won his second European Tour title in Thailand in March,
carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey on the 15th as a more
conservative approach paid off for the big-hitting 43 year old Australian.
"I tried to be aggressive last year and it really doesn't work for me," said the
World Number 85, who missed the cut on his debut last year.
"So I
thought I'd just be a little bit cautious (off the tee) and a bit more
aggressive into the greens. We'll see how that plays out during the
week.
"There's a long three more days to go but I'm comfortable wherever I'm
playing, whether I'm running last or whether I'm running first. Just put
one foot in front of the other and keep going."
Yang, who made history in the 2009 US PGA Championship as the first
player to come from behind to beat Tiger Woods in the final round of a
Major, also carded eight birdies and one bogey, the South Korean's only
blemish coming on the first hole.
SCOTSWATCH (By Colin Farquharson). David Drysdale and Craig Lee headed the Scots in a share of 21st place on the two-under 70 mark. Richie Ramsay is tied 33rd with Greig Hutcheon on 71.
The PLGC Inchmarlo player, who finished third in the P and H Championship at the Renaissance Club yesterday, birdied the third, sixth, seventh and 13th to be four under par with five to play.
But Hutch bogeyed the 14th, 16th and 17th - perhaps tiredness? after in his sixth competitive round since last Friday.
Scott Jamieson, Paul Lawrie and Graham Fox - who lost a play-off at the Renaissance yesterday - are T54 on 72.
Russell Knox, for the second tournament in a row, started with a 75 and he is T101 alongside Stephen Gallacher.
Scott Drummond, a former winner of the PGA title, and Welshman Gareth Wright (West Linton) are joint 122nd on 77.
Marc Warren will be hard pushed to beat the halfway cut after a 78 to be T133. Warren had a triple bogey 7 at the seventh and a double bogey 5 at the short 10th.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERS
par 72
65 S Hend (Australia), Y E Yang (South Korea), J Luiten (Netherlands)
66 D Willett (England)
67 J Van Zyl (South Africa), R Rock (England), R Green (Australia).
68 L Donald (England), K Aphibarnrat (Thailand)
SCOTS' SCORES
70 D Drysdale, C Lee (T21)
71 R Ramsay, G Hutcheon (T33)
72 S Jamieson, P Lawrie, G Fox (T53)
75 R Knox, S Gallacher (T101)
77 S Drummond, G Wright (T122)
78 M Warren (T133)
To view all the scores, check the scorecards
CLICK HERELabels: EUROPEAN TOUR
