Liam Nolan took advantage of the right side of the draw as he fired a three-under 69 to move into early contention at the Danish Golf Challenge.
Nolan lies in a share of eleventh place, five shots behind Scotland’s Calum Fyfe who fired an impressive eight under par 64 to secure a two shot lead on a weather-affected opening day.
After strong winds made life extremely tough for the early starters at Bogense Golf Club, Scotsman Fyfe made the most of the calmer afternoon conditions, carding five birdies and an eagle to rise to the top of the leaderboard before play was suspended due to thunder and lightning.
Fyfe picked up two more shots on the seventh and ninth once play resumed, and the Scot was pleased with how he fought during the first round.
“I feel great,” he said “It was very difficult and brutal out there. I just did well tee to green, which was good, and I fought really hard.”
The Scotsman’s round came after his compatriots Euan Walker and Ryan Lumsden had both topped the leaderboard at different points in the day, and Fyfe admitted he was comfortable on the links-style layout.
“I definitely felt at home,” he added.
“Start of the day I knew it was going to be tough, and I was thinking this is going to be perfect for me. It suits the Scottish guys, and I hope it’s going to be like that all week.”
The highlight of the 26-year-old’s round came on the par five 12th after he chipped in for eagle, and, in total, Fyfe played the par fives in five under par.
“I knew that that they [par fives] are the chances out there,” he said. “I did well to miss the greens in the correct positions. Hopefully the conditions stay the same, so fingers crossed.”
Fyfe sits two shots clear of Dane Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen, and three shots ahead of a two-way tie for third, that includes Frenchman Aymeric Laussot and Swede Per Längfors.
Scotsman Lumsden, Frenchman Julien Sale, England’s Joshua Berry, Sweden’s Albin Bergström, Dane Christoffer Bring and Czech Filip Mruzek are all one shot further back at four under par.
There was also a good start for Daniel Mulligan as the 20-year-old completed a rollercoaster seventeen holes in two-under-par. He will have to return to finish his opening round on Friday.
Mulligan carded two double bogeys and two eagles and has the par-5 9th to play.
Jack Madden is one-over after a 73 while Max Kennedy is a shot further back.
Morning rounds of 75 from Alex Maguire and Mark Power were by no means a disgrace as they battled the tougher morning conditions but they will hope to get the rub of the green in the afternoon.
Dermot McElroy is plus five.
The second round of the Danish Golf Challenge gets underway at 07:30am local time, with Fyfe teeing off in the first group alongside Dutchman Vince van Veen and Sweden’s Robin Petersson.
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