Darren Fichardt posted his lowest competitive round for 23 years as an 11-under par 61 at Kingsbarns Golf Links handed him the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship first round lead.
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The South African mixed two eagles, nine birdies and two bogeys to match his lowest career round, which came at the 2001 Sao Paolo Brazil Open, to lead by one from Australia’s Cameron John, who carded a ten under 62, also at Kingsbarns.
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The five-time DP World Tour winner started by holing a long birdie putt on the tenth – his first – but gave a shot back at the 11th. He carded his first eagle of the day at the par five 12th, before adding birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th to make the turn at five under.
Balmy conditions meant low scoring came more easily than usual across Kingsbarns, the Old Course St Andrews and Carnoustie Golf Links and Fichardt wasted no time in taking further advantage.
The 49-year-old sandwiched his second eagle of the day at the third with a birdie either side, with another pair arriving at the sixth and seventh. He bogeyed the eighth with a three-putt, but then found a ninth and final birdie of the day at the ninth hole after hitting his second shot just short of the green.
Australia’s John, who claimed a breakthrough professional victory at The National Tournament presented by BMW at The National Golf Club on the PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this year, sits second, one stroke clear of Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, Englishman Andrew Wilson and New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier.
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Kiwi Hillier’s nine under 63 was the lowest round of the day at the Old Course, while England’s Wilson recorded his first hole-in-one as a professional at Kingsbarns, acing the par three eighth hole.
Carnoustie Golf Links lived up to its billing as the toughest scoring of the three courses, with Spain’s Jon Rahm and two-time Alfred Dunhill Links Champion Tyrrell Hatton going the lowest with seven under par rounds of 65.
Wilson’s hole-in-one helped him to a share of the lead in the Team Competition on 15 under alongside his partner Tom Leonard, with Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Linkin Park rocker Dave Farrell, and Daniel Gale and his amateur partner Samir Kaul also leading the way.
Player quotes:
Darren Fichardt: The putter was really, really hot today and the driver was exceptional so I was never really in trouble.
I made a good putt for eagle on the 12th hole, which is my third hole and then just kept on going from there. It was crazy. If I was on the green, it was either going in or just missing. I got to nine under at the time, and I thought to myself, I wonder what the par for the course is. But I try to stay in the present, not look at the scorecard or check.
It’s going to be difficult to replicate today. But the driver is good. So on links golf, especially these courses, you need to hit it pretty straight and avoid the bunkers. The putter is working pretty good. I will just go out there and try to do the same as today, and funny enough, I didn’t really attack today. I didn’t take on the flags or anything. I played to the open sides, and I was just making those putts. So hopefully I can carry on over the next couple of days.
