Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed - Day one digest

Everything you need to know from the opening day at Ullna Golf and Country Club.

Paul powered home, Nørgaard needed no practice, Knappe got a timely boost and someone was swapping the pitch for the putting green on day one of the Volvo Scandinavian Mixed.

Here is everything you need to know from the opening day at Ullna Golf and Country Club.

Paul and Nørgaard hit the front

Niklas Nørgaard and Yannik Paul took advantage of the early conditions to card a pair of course-record 65s and lead the way by one shot after day one. The stunning Ullna Golf and Country Club is playing host to the DP World Tour for the first time as the innovative event - co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour - returns for its third edition. A field of 78 men and 78 women are playing in the same groups for one prize fund and one trophy, with Linn Grant having made history as the first female winner of a DP World Tour event with a brilliant nine-shot victory 12 months ago. It was the men who had the better of it early in 2023 but Thailand's Trichat Cheenglab was in the group one shot off the lead at six under alongside South African Louis de Jager, Frenchman Frederic Lacroix and England's Dale Whitnell.

No prep, no problem after Nørgaard's water-skiiing woe

Nørgaard's first ever shot at Ullna Golf and Country Club was his opening tee shot of this week's event but that did not stop him carding that stunning 65. The huge-hitting Dane injured his back water-skiing on Monday and when he came to pack his bags on Tuesday, he could not do it himself, needing his girlfriend to get him prepared and on his way to Sweden. There was little improvement when he arrived in Stockholm but "magically" he was able to tee it up on Thursday morning and he responded with his second-lowest round of the season. “It was a very weird day because I had no preparation at all," he said. "I hurt my back on Monday, so I come up here and I haven’t practised. I haven’t played the course, I just went out there with pretty much no expectations at all and it worked today."

Knappe back in the fast lane after Sweden ace

Alexander Knappe revealed he could not have picked a better time to produce a perfect shot as made a hole-in-one on day one. The German holed a nine-iron from 156 yards at the 14th to earn himself a two-year “Care by Volvo” subscription of a fully electric Volvo EX30. That would be good news at the best of times but the timing is perfect for Knappe, who is currently seeking a replacement for his nine-year-old car, which struggles to start and has no air conditioning. "It's unbelievable because my car is actually breaking down," he said. "I have a nine-year-old car and the engine is not really running. Sometimes it takes five minutes to get it running and the AC is broken so I was looking for a car anyway - this is perfect timing."

I've seen you somewhere before..........

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean is walking the fairways this week as he reacquaints himself with caddying duties. Dean, who retired from refereeing at the end of last season, is on the bag for Welsh professional golfer Lydia Hall and it is far from the first time he has worked as a caddie on Tour, having been on the bag for Hall on several previous occasions, including at last year’s Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and the Women’s Open in 2018. "I just enquired about it about six or seven years ago to try and help out and got a couple of jobs early doors," he said. "I try and do two or three jobs a year if I can. Each job is different but I quite enjoy doing the caddying so it's nice to come out and help once in a while."

Big finish for Whitnell

Dale Whitnell was enjoying a pretty good day at four under and bogey-free as he stood 96 yards from the flag on the ninth - his final hole. Then he did this.