Max Kennedy is six shots off the pace after opening his Vierumaki Finnish Challenge campaign with a three-under-par 69.
Kennedy shares 35th place after mixing three birdies and an eagle with two bogeys on a day of low scoring.
The Royal Dublin golfer made the perfect start with an opening birdie and recovered from a bogey on the 8th with a superb eagle on the par-5 9th. He maintained his momentum with back to back birdies on 12 and 13 but gave a shot back on the par-3 15th.
One shot further back is Paul McBride, who is playing on an invite following a top-10 at last week’s Irish Challenge and despite shooting another round in red figures he will be disappointed after turning in four-under.
Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela posted a sensational bogey-free nine under par 63 to set the pace after round one.
The Spaniard, starting from the tenth, made three birdies and an eagle on his front nine to turn in 31 and race into the lead. Four more gains coming in saw him move to nine under par, one ahead of Italian Aron Zemmer, Portugese Daniel Rodriguez and German Anton Albers.
The 28-year-old was delighted with his low opening round at Vierumäki Resort and made the most of two lucky breaks to claim the lead after day one.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “I haven’t been playing well recently so to start with a low round is obviously very positive and hopefully I can carry this on for the rest of the week.
“I had some luck out there today and the flagstick got in the way a couple of times. I hit two chips and would have been happy to have got them within 15 feet but luckily, they hit the middle of the flagstick and dropped in.
“I hit my irons so well today and gave myself a lot of chances. I left a couple out there but as golfers we always think we could have shot lower. Overall I am very happy with today.
Hernandez Cabezuela is yet to make a cut in his two previous events on the 2025 Road to Mallorca but hopes his positive start in Finland can provide the catalyst for an upturn in form.
“I think over the last few years that ball-striking has been very good,” he said. “I’ve also improved my short game and that has been key to playing a little bit better. Hopefully I will take this good energy into tomorrow and I can keep going.”
South African Wilco Nienaber, Scotsman David Law, Englishmen Josh Berry and George Mason and Dutch duo Vince van Veen and Lars van Meijel share fifth position on seven under par.
The second round will get under way at 7:30am local time, with Hernandez Cabezuela teeing it up alongside Switzerland’s Jeremy Freiburghaus and Irishman Robert Moran who is two-over at 12:40pm.
Leave a comment