The world No. 454, who earned his European Tour card last season through the Challenge Tour, made eight birdies at Royal Golf Club on Thursday to lead South Africa’s Xander Lombard and Switzerland’s Joel Garback by one stroke.
Leading Australia’s challenge to the top four was PGA Tour Q School winner Harrison Endicott, who made up for a few early bogeys with five birdies over the final 11 holes, finishing with a five-stroke lead at 3 under par. He tied for 26th place. pace.
Rasmus Hugaard, who was the pre-tournament favorite to win, made an eagle on the ninth final hole and finished with a 5-under 67, level with Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and England’s Marcus Armitage, who had a hole-in-one on the 12th.
“I tried to hit as many greens as possible, play solid all day and putt with great speed. It would be great if I could make a few putts,” Vaillon said in his first two starts of the tournament. I missed the cut. Season, I said.
“I’m fighting as hard as I can. I like when the conditions are really tough. I just feel like my game is suited for it. I’m fighting for every shot.”
Huygaard finished 11th, 11th and second in his first three tournaments in 2024, but revealed he had been battling illness until he was 67 years old.
“There’s a huge lack of energy,” he said. “I was trying to find a restroom location on the course and make sure it was somewhere I could go.
“Sometimes you have to deal with it and we did a good job of that today.”
Companion David Micheluzzi was one stroke behind Endicott’s two under par, while fellow Australians Jason Scribner and Haydn Barron were both one under.