MADE IN DENMARK EUROPEAN TOUR EVENT

 
GREAT DANE BJORN SHARES LEAD ON 66 ON HOME TURF

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Great Dane Thomas Björn produced the start the home fans were hoping for at Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort, firing a five under par round of 66 to be part of a three-way tie for the lead after the opening round of Made in Denmark.
As Denmark’s most successful golfer, with 15 European Tour titles to his name, Björn is also the most decorated player in the field and he lived up to his reputation, with five birdies – two on the front nine and three after the turn - in a blemish free round.
He equalled the target set in the group ahead of him by Chilean Felipe Aguilar, who birdied four of the last five holes, before the pair were joined at the top of the leaderboard by Welshman Bradley Dredge, who carded five birdies over his closing seven holes.
Björn’s compatriot Thorbjørn Olesen is three shots behind the leading trio in fourth place following a bogey-free round of 69.
Key player quotes
Thomas Björn: “It was a tricky day today with the wind, especially on my back nine. But I drove the ball really well and that gives you opportunities on this golf course. So I’m happy with the day, happy with the start and it was pretty solid all the way round.
“I don’t think there is any added pressure this week. You are coming off some big weeks, The Open and PGA, where you feel the pressure anyway, so I don’t think you feel added pressure here. I’ve played so much big golf of late that I feel quite comfortable out there. 
"I have a lot of great support which is nice to come home to and it felt good today. Obviously if it gets to the weekend and I’m up there it might be different. You want to go all the way in your home country, but we will deal with that on the weekend.”
Felipe Aguilar: “It is a difficult golf course and you have to be very patient. I played solid today and made only one three putt and I duffed it on the 18, my ninth, but I hit my irons really well today. You have to be respectful with this course. When you think you have got it, that is when you miss some shots.
" If you hit it in the long hay you are really struggling. If you miss it on the wrong side of the greens you are struggling. So you have to be conservative and take advantage when you can.”
Bradley Dredge: “I’m pretty pleased with that. Only one bogey and six birdies. If someone offered me 66 before I went out I would certainly have bitten their hand off.
“It’s nice when you start getting your irons shots in closer and rattling some putts in. I holed a nice 30ft putt on the last, which was a nice way to finish. It’s not easy around here. Even downwind it’s not easy to get it in close.”
Thorbjørn Olesen: “The support today was incredible. Holing that putt on 16 (30ft birdie putt) was like winning a tournament with the roar. All the way round there was a great atmosphere and it is great to play in front of them. 
"It gives you a lift and it keeps you going when you play bad shots. You want to try so hard to do your best in front of that many people.”

     SCOREBOARD
    Par 71
 66 F Aguilar (Chi) , T Björn (Den) , B Dredge (Wal)
 69 T Olesen (Den)
 70 P Archer (Eng) , N Colsaerts  (Bel) , D Gaunt (Eng) , A Hartø  (Den) , R Kakko  (Fin) , S Chowrasia (Ind) , A Marshall (Eng) , P Lawrie (Irl) , S Kim (S Kor)
 71 S Wakefield (Eng) , M Warren (Sco) , M Madsen  (Den) , A Pavan (Ita) , W Ormsby (Aus) , S Jamieson  (Sco) , M Korhonen (Fin) , P Sjöland (Swe) , E Grillo (Arg) , D Drysdale (Sco) , L Slattery (Eng) , R Bland (Eng), J Carlsson (Swe), G Porteous (Eng) , S Kjeldsen (Den)
 72 S Jeppesen  (Swe) , D Lipsky (USA) , L Jensen (Den) , K Ferrie (Eng) , A McArthur  (Sco) , C Hanson (Eng) , D Im (USA) , M Lundberg (Swe) , T Lewis (Eng) , C Doak (Sco), B Henson (USA) , A Sullivan (Eng) , E Dubois (Fra) , G Stal  (Fra)
 73 G Bhullar (Ind) , B Stone (RSA) , E Pepperell (Eng) , M Foster (Eng) , M Hoey  (Nir) , S Kapur (Ind) , R Hjelm (Den) , R Wattel  (Fra) , S Walker (Eng) , M Nixon (Eng) , D McGrane (Irl) , J Campillo (Esp) , R Karlberg  (Swe) , T Levet (Fra) , S Manley (Wal) , J Singh (Ind) , R Rock (Eng) , C Lee (Sco) , V Riu  (Fra) ,
 74 M Lampert (Ger) , A Otaegui  (Esp) , J Billing (Swe) , G Havret  (Fra) , J Gaardsdal (Swe) , C Gloet  (Den) , R Santos  (Por) , J Hansen  (Den) , P Vejgaard  (Den) , A Saddier (Fra) , J Lara (Esp) , P Uihlein  (USA) , T Hatton (Eng) , R Derksen (Ned) , G Bourdy (Fra) , S Dodd (Wal) , R Finch  (Eng) , B Rumford (Aus) , J McLeary  (Sco) , J Knutzon (USA) , P Hedblom (Swe) , S Griffiths (Eng) , J Doherty  (Sco) ,
 75 M Jonzon (Swe) , M Bremner (RSA) , F Calmels  (Fra) , M Miller (USA) , G Maybin (Nir) , P Price (Wal) , R Ramsay  (Sco) , O Fisher  (Eng) , P Waring  (Eng) , D Huizing (Ned) , J Lima  (Por) , G Storm  (Eng) , J Hahn (USA) , J Parry (Eng) , J Magnusson (Swe) , I Garrido (Esp) , O Zetterwall (Swe) , E De La Riva  (Esp) , C Del Moral (Esp) , K Broberg (Swe) , N Kristensen (am) (Den) ,
 76 J Elson  (Eng) , M Søgaard  (Den) , R Green (Aus) , M Haastrup  (Den) , D Gavins (Eng) , P Gustafsson (Swe) , M Carlsson  (Swe) , S Webster (Eng) , D Horsey (Eng) , D Løkke (Den) , S Thornton (Irl) , A Gee  (Eng) , J Morrison  (Eng) , K Horne (RSA) , D Higgins (Irl) , D Howell (Eng) , J Kingston (RSA) ,
 77 E Goya (Arg) , F Andersson Hed (Swe) , S Dyson  (Eng) , A Johnston (Eng) , C Wood  (Eng) , A Forsyth (Sco) , J Heath  (Eng) , R Jacquelin (Fra) , M Crespi  (Ita) , R Gonzalez (Arg) , J Quesne  (Fra)
 78 H Porteous (RSA) , J Dantorp (Swe) , A Kaleka  (Fra) , T Nørret (Den) , B Paolini (USA) , L Bjerregaard  (Den) , A Wall (Eng) ,
 79 J Glennemo (Swe) , M Baldwin (Eng) , N Elvira  (Esp) , A Hansen (Den) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , D Brooks (Eng) , T Lawrence (RSA)
 80 M Grönberg (Swe) , N Fasth (Swe) , J Walters (RSA) , M Leth Simonsen (am) (Den)
 81 P Gal  (Cze)
 82 K Phelan (Irl)
 84 K Eriksson (Swe) , O Bekker (RSA)


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