Robert Rock’s hope of contesting next fortnight’s Masters nose-dived with the England golfer spoiling the hope of driving down Magnolia Lane with an ’11’ early on day one of the 39th Hassan II Trophy.
Rock began par, birdie and par before walking off with a horror seven over figure for the par four fourth hole on the King of Morocco’s own Royal Course.
However to his credit the reigning Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion birdied the 15th and then eagled 17 in an eventual round of
It was the same hole, measuring 467 yards where former Ryder Cup star Soren Hansen and past U.S. Amateur champion, Peter Uhlein each took a ‘9’.
Others to come unstuck at the 4th was Ireland’s Paul McGinley and the England pair of Richard Finch and Oliver Wilson who took ‘7s’ plus 2010 Hassan II winner, Rhys Davies run up a ‘6’
Rock’s drama at the fourth put him at six over par and already 13 shots behind Ireland’s Damien McGrane who enjoyed a two stroke lead as the afternoon half took to the ultra-private Moroccan course.
The 307th world ranked McGrane commenced his round with an eagle ‘three’ on the King of Morocco’s privately-owned Royal Course and managed eight birdies but also three bogeys in a five under par 67.
“It’s always a great way to start any round with an eagle,” said McGrane.
“Then I found myself four under at the turn and while I stalled a bit at the start of the inward nine I managed to birdie four of my last five to turn a decent round into a pretty good round.
”Conditions were very tricky out there with the wind the strongest it’s been for the three days we’ve been here in Agadir so it wasn’t easy but I have to be pleased with the way I played.”
Spain’s Alejandro Canizares is in second place at five under par with five players – Scotland’s Richie Ramsay, Holland’s Robert-Jan Derksen, the England duo of Kenneth Ferrie and Graeme Storm plus Italy’s Edoardo Molinari – sharing third place at four under par.
