Gallic guile was very much in evidence in Shanghai as the French duo of Raphaël Jacquelin and Jean Van de Velde moved into a share of the lead with Australia’s Larry Austin and Peter Lawrie of Ireland after the first round of the BMW Asian Open.
The quartet all carded five under par 67s round the testing Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club, a course made all the more demanding by an ever strengthening wind and temperatures which, at times, touched 39 degrees on the on-course thermometers in the co-sanctioned event between The European Tour and the Asian Tour.
Particularly pleased to be in such a prominent position was Van de Velde as the former Ryder Cup player has endured a torrid time with injury over the last couple of seasons, in particular a leg problem which saw him miss most of the second part of the 2004 season.
However the 38 year old was back to something like his former best in Shanghai, carding four birdies and an eagle at the 568 yard 13th – where he holed a monstrous 45 foot putt – to more than compensate for his solitary dropped shot of the day at the 12th where he three putted from a similar distance.
With his medical exemption category having expired, Van de Velde is having to rely on invites for his starts on Tour this year and the likeable Frenchman admitted that, so far, his strike rate had been pretty good.
“I am doing not too badly,” he said. “I have realised that I must not have made any enemies along the way so that is pretty good. I really truly appreciate the people helping me and showing me their support.
“I don’t feel comfortable asking for favours but unfortunately that is where I am right now. I said I was going to enter the Tour School (in 2004) but I could barely walk down the bakery at that time last year, so I couldn’t go there and therefore I didn’t earn my way back in (to the Tour).
“So sadly I have to beg! Well, ask anyway and so far so good. Luckily I have had some good responses so if I start shooting some good scores as well and try to get the feel back then it is up to me from here until the end of the season to try and work my way back in there.”
His fellow countryman Jacquelin looked in danger of shooting an incredibly low number – although it would not have counted due to the preferred lies in operation – when he covered his first nine holes, from the tenth to the 18th, in six under par.
Sadly for the 30 year old, the momentum dried up on his inward half and a late three putt bogey at the eighth hole ruled out his chances of the outright lead. However, in his quest for his maiden Tour victory, he admitted he was pleased with his start.
“I put the ball in play which is what you have to do around here and I put a lot of iron shots very close to the pin and I made two long putts as well,” he said. “But on my back nine I wasn’t so good with the driver and that is the key to this course.
“I am pretty used to being in contention so I am pretty calm. I am not waiting for the win and if it happens, it happens. I have had a good start this week but there are still three more rounds to play and in this course with these conditions, anything can happen. I will just wait and play my game.”
Another player looking for his maiden Tour win is Lawrie and he continued to show promise in that area following his third place finish in the Jazztel Open de España en Andalucia two weeks ago.
Like Jacquelin, Lawrie had seven birdies and two dropped shots in his opening effort, his seven birdie putts ranging in length from a tap in at the first hole after a stunning approach to a 20 foot curling effort at the 15th.
“I have been playing nicely and I have been waiting for a few putts to drop and I got out of the blocks early today by holing three or four 15 footers and that is what has been missing in my game really,” he said.
Completing the quartet on 67 was Asian Tour player Larry Austin of Australia who celebrated his first full year of competition on the Asian circuit with a solid showing, not shedding a single shot to par in his opening round.
