After the first round of the Bahrain Championship on Thursday, France’s Tom Vaillon posted an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead.
The 22-year-old holds the lead ahead of South Africa’s Xander Lombard and Switzerland’s Joel Garback in his first full season on the European Tour.
The Frenchman’s perfect opening round began with pars on the first five holes, but Vaillant closed out the front nine with three birdies and finished the round with birdies on the last two holes.
“I tried to hit as many greens as I could. I just tried to play solid all day and putt with great speed. It would be great to make some putts,” Vaillon said.
Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard was in eighth place, three strokes behind the leader, and hit an eagle at the end to make up for his two bogeys.
The tournament marked Bahrain’s return to the DP World Tour after 13 years, with two holes-in-one in the first round, Chen Guxin in the second round and Marcus Armitage in the 12th round.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)
First published: February 2, 2024, 00:01 IST
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