Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen set about ending a seven-year winless drought grabbing a two shot lead with a score of 66 on the first day of the Volvo China Open.
Derksen, 39, ranked 465th in the world, capped his round with eight birdies including six in a seven hole stretch from sixth hole and then two over his closing three in bright but windy conditions on the exposed Pete Dye designed Binhai Golf Club course at Tianjin in north-east China.
The effort is Derksen’s equal-lowest score in 33 rounds of the co-sanctioned European and One Asia Tour event and with his best finish in 10 prior appearances being T18th last year on the same course.
“It was a funny day, because I stared well with a birdie from about five feet, but then three-putted the third and fourth and ended up in three divots on the fairways later in the round,” said Dersken, a two-time Tour winner.
Dutch delight for Robert-Jan Derksen as he looks to end a seven year winless drought. (Photo – Richard Castka/Volvo Golf)
“I played well here last year, and decided to skip Korea last week to better prepare for this tournament, because the travelling can take it out of you. So it looks like a good decision. It’s only the first day, I know, but I haven’t led a tournament for quite a while, so if I can keep rolling in the putts, hopefully we could be in for a good week.”
Three players – Australia’s Brett Rumford, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Thailand’s Kiradeck Aphibarnrat – are tied in second place with scores of four-under par 68s.
All three have won this season with Rumford capturing last week’s Ballantine’s Championship, Jacquelin last fortnight’s nine-hole play-off for the Spanish Open and Aphibarnrat who won the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Rumford is not only looking to win a fifth European Tour title but also become only the third Australian in the 41-year history of the Tour to win back-to-back titles.
Jack Newton captured the 1972 Dutch Open and then the next Tour event, the Benson and Hedges Festival while Graham Marsh in 1977 captured the back-to-back Colgate World Match-Play title and the Lancombe Trophy.
“It was very windy out there today, very windy and a lot of patience was required,” said Rumford.
“I didn’t get much sleep on Sunday night and basically used Monday and Tuesday to recover and Wednesday I played the Pro-Am, so I haven’t done much in the way of practice so it’s been about recovering and getting the body right to play again.
“Mentally, I feel nice and fresh out there today as it was a mental grind in the wind, so it was a good test in my first round since my win last week. I am in a good position so I will just keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
And while Rumford looks for his slice of history, 12-year old Ye Wo-cheng created Tour history becoming the youngest-ever player to compete on the European Tour.
At 12 years and 242 days, Ye smashed the previous record for the youngest Tour competitor held by compatriot Guan Tianlang, who was 13 years and 177 days old when he teed up in the China Open last year.
However it was a day the Dongguan schoolboy would rather forget shooting a round of a seven over par 79.
But there was one fantastic highlight for Ye at the par five, sixth hole or the 15th of his round, when after losing a ball off the tee, he holed a 40-yard chip shot for a bogey.
While Ye struggled his 16-year Chinese compatriot Dou Ze-cheng signed for an impressive two under par 70.
Dou, who contested last year’s US Junior Championship, had four birdies and two bogeys.
And defending champion, Branden Grace of South Africa, and the highest ranked player in the event at No. 32, was struggling at five over par after 13 holes before birding three of his closing five in a score of 74.
