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Lafeber and Emerson share the first round lead
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Lafeber and Emerson share the first round lead

Dutchman Maarten Lafeber and England’s Gary Emerson shared the lead after the opening round of the first co-sanctioned Greg Norman Holden International at The Lakes Golf Club, Sydney, Australia. Lafeber, 25, from Eindhoven, and 36 year old Emerson both shot seven under par 66s to lead by one shot from Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart of Scotland and Australia’s Peter Senior.

Lafeber, a Challenge Tour graduate from last season, recorded an eagle and six birdies, including a closing hat-trick, while Emerson’s rollercoaster round contained an eagle, eight birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.

Emerson, one under par after 12 holes, played the remaining six in six under while Coltart, two over par after 10, covered the next seven in eight under to be only one behind along with Senior.

Emerson, a former club professional from Bournemouth whose best finish on the European tour was fifth at the 1995 Canaries Open, began his run with a 20-foot putt at the 339-yard 13th. He was on in two at the par five next for another birdie, struck his tee shot to three feet on 208-yard 15th, then eagled the long 17th after a three-iron to 10 feet.

He commented: "I didn't want the round to stop. I'd love to have been able to just carry on."

The seven-under 66 was only one outside Emerson's lowest round on the European Tour and was further reward for his decision to give up his club job in Salisbury three years ago to concentrate on playing full-time.

"It was a bit of a gamble because I'd just lost my tour card, but I couldn't concentrate on both things and you can imagine going home after missing the cut and you get 300 members asking you why." he added.

Coltart is attempting to win Down Under for the third time in his career. He has never won on European soil - apart from the Dunhill Cup team event - but lifted the Australian PGA title in both 1994 and 1997 and topped the Australasian Order of Merit that latter season.

He had a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th, drilled a six-iron to eight feet for an eagle at the 14th, made a 22-footer for a two on the next and then matched Emerson's eagle at the 17th after a two-iron to 15 feet.

"I normally only have two eagles in a season, so that was an unexpected bonus," said Coltart.

"I decided to use a cack-handed putting grip in the pro-am yesterday, so I think it will be staying for a little while longer."

Aaron Baddeley, the 18-year-old Australian Open champion trying to become the first amateur to lift a European tour title since Ireland's David Sheehan in 1962, kept that dream alive with a two-under 71.

But his illustrious playing partner Norman is in danger of missing the halfway cut in his own event for the second successive year. Norman managed only a 76, bogeying the first two holes a week after starting the Heineken Classic in Perth with a triple bogey seven.

"I played terrible, putted terrible and just couldn't get a score going," said Norman, but Baddeley still learned something useful.

"Greg does not show his emotions even when he is hot under the collar," commented the youngster, who demonstrated a good temperament himself when he refused to be flustered by a slow play warning early in his round.

Controversial American John Daly did not even have a wood in his bag as he went round in a level par 73, while New Zealander Michael Campbell's hopes of a third successive win faded with a 74.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, runner-up to Campbell last weekend, pulled out before the start with a neck injury and was replaced by American Tom Gillis.

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