Bradley Neil in the mix with a 69

Four players share the lead after the first round of the NBO  Golf Classic Grand Final after an action-packed opening day  at Al Mouj Golf. Blairgowrie's Bradley Neil is just outside the top 10  with a three-under-par 69 Australia’s Nick Cullen, Sweden’s Oscar Lengden,  Argentina’s Estanislao Goya and Poland’s Adrian Meronk all signed for five under par rounds of 67 to put themselves firmly in contention for a place in the top 15 on the Road to Oman – who will earn European Tour cards at the end of the week. Meronk, who narrowly missed out on a maiden European  Challenge Tour title at last week’s Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf  Challenge after losing in a play-off to Jens Dantorp, has now  gone 36 holes without a bogey after a blemish-free score  today. Lengden and Goya, who arrived in Muscat in 20th and  23rd in the Rankings respectively, have both won on the Challenge Tour this year and will be looking to pick up more silverware this week. Cullen started the day in 33rd place in the Rankings and, as  things stand, would claim the 15th and final card on  Saturday. Also impressing in Muscat was Aaron Rai, who  continued where he left off on his return to Challenge Tour action by carding an opening 68 to sit one back after 18 holes. The Englishman secured European Tour graduation with  three early-season wins on the Road to Oman, and during  his first Challenge Tour round since July he bagged five  birdies and a bogey to reach four under par. The 22 year old has gone on to flourish on the European  Tour since graduating from Challenge Tour ranks, recording  two top-ten finishes in Denmark and Valderramma in the  2017 Race to Dubai. Scores after Round One par 72 67 E Goya (Arg) , A Meronk (Poland) , N Cullen (Australia) , O Lengden (Swe)  68 T Linard (Fra) , A Rai (Eng) , O Farr (Wales) , J Heath (Eng) , M Kinhult (Swe) , C Sordet (Fra)   69 O Lindell (Fin) , S Fernandez (Spn) , B Neil (Sco) , R Evans (Eng) , P Oriol (Spn)  70 A Saddier (Fra) , L Gagli (Ita) , E Van Rooyen (SAf) , T Murray (Eng) , D Huizing (Netherlands) , M Tullo (Chile) , G Forrest (Sco) , C Mivis (Bel) , G Moynihan (Ire) , J Dantorp (Swe) , S Heisele (Ger)  71 T Pulkkanen (Finland) , M Schwab (Austria) , R McEvoy (Eng) , J Guerrier (Fra) , N Von Dellingshausen (Ger) , G Porteous (Eng) , J Arnoy (Norway)   72 J Sjöholm (Swe) , R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra)   73 C Ford (Eng)  75 C Koepka (USA) , J Girrbach (Switz) , S Brown (Eng) ,  76 B Hafthorsson (Iceland) , M Madsen (Denmark) , M Lundberg (Swe)  77 P Howard (Eng) , V Perez (Fra)  79 M Ford (Eng)

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