South Africans chase Kiwi in Belgium

Stimpmeter · May 24, 2024, 5:15am

Sam Jones made a spectacular albatross en route to the lowest round of his fledgling DP World Tour career as he opened up a two-shot lead after day one of the Soudal Open.

The Kiwi arrived at Rinkven International Golf Club 168th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex but found his form in stunning fashion, carding a 62 to get to nine under and lead the way from English duo Matthew Jordan and Andrew Wilson, Spaniard Nacho Elvira, Frenchman Romain Langasque and Dane Niklas Norgaard.

Scot Connor Syme was three shots off the lead after making eight birdies and two bogeys, a shot clear of English trio Matthew Baldwin, Ross Fisher and Alex Fitzpatrick, Swede Jonas Blixt, Canadian Aaron Cockerill, Spaniard Alejandro del Rey and German Nicolai von Dellingshausen.

South African trio Louis de Jager, Thriston Lawrence and Pieter Moolman were among a group of 15 players who shared 15th position after carding 67, with countrymen Jaco Prinsloo and Jayden Schaper a further shot behind.

He was three under for his round stood on the 14th tee but rattled off a hat-trick of birdies before sinking a three wood from 273 yards on the par-five 17th for the first albatross of the season to catapult himself into the lead.

The 27-year-old rookie only turned professional two weeks before securing his card at the Qualifying School in November but is already enjoying landmark days with a first career albatross and what would have been a course record had preferred lies not been in place.

“I’m taking it as it comes,” he said. “The first few months have been pretty good, golf has been average but it’s been pretty good the last few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting into this European Swing.”

The albatross made it six shots picked up in four holes and Jones revealed he would have played a lay up had it not been for the previous three birdies.

“Initially it was going to be a three-shot, was going to lay it up,” he said. “Thought about three iron off the tee, hit three wood, pulled it a little bit but hit it nicely.

“Got up there, had 248 metres to the flag, said to my caddie Keith that it was the perfect three wood, into the breeze a little bit.

“I was going well already at that stage so I thought if I made a bogey it was no big deal. Just hit it, flushed it, called to it to be good in the air and it was. First ever albatross, not a bad place to do it.”

Earlier, he had hit a fine approach into the 1st but three-putted the 2nd before making a two-putt gain on the par-five 5th and hitting another smart iron into the 7th.

He left himself less than 50 yards to the flag at the short par-four 11th and then hit two more pinpoint irons into the 14th and 15th before holing a 20-footer on the next and following it with the biggest of birds on the 17th.

Jordan had set the early target as a 30-footer on the 13th triggered a hat-trick of gains and he added another on the 18th to turn in 31.

A dropped shot came on the 1st but Jordan left a tap-in on the 4th, made a two-putt gain on the 5th and had a birdie-birdie finish to hit the front.

Norgaard also had a birdie-birdie finish after starting on the 10th, making eight birdies from inside 11 feet and a single bogey after finding water on the 13th.

Langasque made five birdies on the front nine including a hat-trick from the 7th and recovered from a bogey on the 11th with a long putt on the 13th and further gains on the 15th and 18th.

Elvira bookended his round with a birdie-birdie start and three to finish, while also picking up shots on the 10th and 13th, while Wilson was also bogey-free with gains on the 15th, 16th, 18th, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 9th.

– Edited report from DP World Tour website

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