Defending champion Retief Goosen swept into a two stroke lead after the first round of the Trophée Lancôme at Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche, Paris, France. The South African, who edged out Darren Clarke and Michael Campbell a year ago, launched his defence with a seven under par 64.
That score matched the third round 64 which propelled him towards the title last year, and confirmed his sense of comfort in French surroundings. Goosen has already won three times in France and his opening score enabled him to open up a two shot lead over five players.
On 66 are Scots Andrew Coltart and Gary Orr, Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg, Steve Webster of England and Australian Scott Gardiner.
Goosen produced a stunning run of birdie golf after an erratic start. He bogeyed the first and third, with a birdie sandwiched in between, before cutting loose with seven straight birdies – one short of The European Tour record. He picked up a further stroke at the 13th to card a commendable 64.
If Goosen had made a 30 footer on the 417 yard 11th hole he would have matched the record of eight in a row set by Ian Woosnam at Fulford in 1985 and subsequently equalled by Seve Ballesteros, Tony Johnstone, John Bickerton, Mark O'Meara, Raymond Russell, Darren Clarke and Marcello Santi.
"I hit a good putt and it was right on line, but it came up a foot short," he said. "Not that I knew eight was a record."
Earlier in the day, Coltart and Orr had battled for supremacy at the top of the leaderboard. Coltart’s only bogey came at the first hole and his birdies came in clusters – at the fifth and sixth, the 11th and 12t and the 16th and 17th.
Orr, too, was caught out by the first hole, a 4546 yard par four. However he quickly stabilised his round after a bogey by picking up shots at the fifth and sixth then sinking his second shot at the 10th.
Another two followed at the 12th and although he bogeyed the 15th, Orr put in a powerful finishing surge with birdies at the 16th and 17th to join Coltart on the five under par mark.
One player who could have matched strides with Goosen was Lundberg, the Swede who led after 54 holes of the Smurfit European Open in July. He bogeyed the first but picked up seven strokes between the fifth and 12th and made another birdie at the 16th. However a double bogey five at the 18th cost him a possible share of the lead.
Play in the event was halted at noon for a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of last week’s tragic events in the United States.
