Flag for GER
BMW International Open
Round 2 Delayed
News All Articles
Champion Broadhurst Equals Course Record in Portugal
Report

Champion Broadhurst Equals Course Record in Portugal

Defending champion Paul Broadhurst of England equalled the Le Meridien Penina course record of 64 to take an early one shot lead in the opening round of the Algarve Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos. Broadhurst leads Swedish rookie Christian Nilsson by one after his bogey at the last hole left him with an opening score of seven under par 65.

Frenchman Christian Cévaër moved into third place after his opening round of six under 66, with England’s Richard Finch, Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin and Spain’s Carl Suneson in a tie for fourth position on five under.

Broadhurst, whose victory in this event last year was his first for a decade, put on a wonderful display of putting to surge into the lead, using his putter only 24 times in his opening round.

The 40 year old Englishman had admitted on Wednesday before the tournament teed off that he was really struggling for any sort of positive form, but had come to defend his title with fresh advice from his coach, Bob Torrance, hoping that he could recapture the kind of display that took him to the title last season.

He did just and more, scoring below 65 for the first time in many years and opening the defence of his Algarve Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos crown in fine style, equaling the course record of Robert Karlsson of Sweden and the Australian Terry Price.

“I didn’t realise that I had equalled it and it’s nice to go low,” said Broadhurst. “I haven’t been that low for years. I have had a couple of 66s and 67s but I haven’t shot under 65 for quite a few years. In the back of my mind when I was playing the eighth I was thinking of 62 which was my lowest round ever but it was not to be.

“But I am chuffed to bits. I said I wasn’t playing too well yesterday but I hit it better on the range today and I went from there. I am still not that confident on the long irons. I’m alright up to a five iron, but not too keen on the four three and two. I hit it in the water on 13 today with a four iron but recovered well and made a good four in the end.

“I’m not pulling any wool over my eyes – I know that the irons are not how I would like feeling –wise, but I know what I have got to work on but that’s just a case of perseverance really until you get it right. But I am pleased with today because there were no real signs of being able to hit 64 beforehand. I played the back nine in the Pro-Am yesterday a lot better so I took confidence from that, so it’s a funny game golf – you never know what is round the corner.”

Nilsson a graduate of the 2005 Qualifying School was delighted with his opening round and is hoping that his excellent, yet, at times, erratic, opening score is the sign of things to come in this his rookie season on The European Tour.

The Swede flew out of the blocks, starting on the back nine of Le Meridien Penina Golf and Resort with five birdies in his opening six holes. He pushed on from there, ‘turning’ in six under par 31 and then picking up another stroke on his tenth hole to be seven under for the round. Nilsson made a further three birdies but tempered those with three dropped shots to finish with an opening 65.

“I got off to a great start and was five under after six holes then I made birdie on my ninth to turn in six under and then got another one right away to be seven under after ten. Then it got a bit wilder on the way back in but I am pleased with it,” said Nilsson, who shares the same coach – Henri Reis – as Women’s World Number One Annika Sorenstam.

“The first nine I played great and didn’t miss a shot but on the way back in I finished up in the rough a couple of times and it’s so thick at points that you can drop shots easily from there. I haven’t played that well on Tour this season. I started well in South Africa in December, but I am playing better, which I proved today.”

Read next