Career-first albatross helps Sam Jones go low in Belgium

Sam Jones celebrated a career-first albatross as an incredible burst of scoring helped him set the early pace at the Soudal Open in Belgium.

The New Zealander, competing in his rookie season on the DP World Tour, holed his second shot at the par-five 17th at Rinkven International Golf Club late into his opening round to set an imposing clubhouse target of nine under par.

With preferred lies in play for the first two rounds, his nine-under 62 is not a new course record but the first albatross of the DP World Tour season moved him into a two-shot lead over England's Matthew Jordan in the opening event of the European Swing.

After mixing three birdies with one bogey on his front nine to hit the turn at two under, he followed a birdie at the 11th with a hat-trick of gains from the 14th before his moment of magic at the penultimate hole.

"Initially it was going to be a three-shot, was going to lay it up (on 17)," he said.

"Thought about three iron off the tee, hit three wood, pulled it a little bit but hit it nicely.

"Got up there, had 248 metres to the flag, said to my caddie Keith that it was the perfect three wood, into the breeze a little bit.

"I was going well already at that stage so I thought if I made a bogey it was no big deal. Just hit it, flushed it, called to it to be good in the air and it was. First ever albatross, not a bad place to do it."

Just hit it, flushed it, called to it to be good in the air and it was

Jones, who earned his DP World Tour card through Qualifying School last year, arrived in Belgium on the back of missed cuts in four of his last five starts.

But having only secured his status on the DP World Tour just two weeks after turning professional, the 27-year-old is taking everything in his stride.

“I’m taking it as it comes (first year as a professional),” explained Jones, who last played on the DP World Tour at the Hero Indian Open in March.

“The first few months have been pretty good, golf has been average but it’s been pretty good the last few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting into this European Swing.”

While the tree-lined Rinkven layout is a new venue to Jones, he has seen some similarities to courses back in his homeland and knows accuracy off the tee is a key to performing well.

“The condition of the course is similar to back home, the greens are pretty much the same,” he said.

“It’s a little bit tighter – back home you can blast it out onto other fairways and come back over, on this one you can’t.

“You just have to keep it in front of you, keep it between the trees, and go from there.”

Jordan produced a birdie-birdie finish to also end his first round in fine fashion and ensure he was the next best from the morning wave.

The 28-year-old last played in this event two years ago, finishing in a tie for 15th, and it is a course he believes suits his eye in a similar way to Muthaiga Golf Club in Kenya, scene of his sole top ten finish so far this season.

"I can’t give a magic solution to why I like this track," he said, after mixing eight birdies with one bogey. "It reminds me a bit of Kenya, like a European Kenya, and I did well there a couple of months ago. Maybe I should play these type of courses more often."

He added: "It was just good golf. I putted well today. I just kept it in play on most holes and when I seemed to have a chance, I took it more often than not. The greens are perfect. I was out early in the morning, not too much wind, a bit cold, but it was fairly easy really. Still got to do it (for the rest of the week)."