Mikael Lindberg produced a fast finish to card a bogey-free 66 and hold a one-shot lead after day one of the Turkish Airlines Open, while Tom McKibbin has work to do to make the cut.
The Holywood man got off to a nightmare start and found himself five-over after six holes having made four bogeys and a double, but he regrouped to play the final 10 holes in four-under to give himself a chance of seeing weekend action though he currently sits a shot outside the provisional cut mark in a tie for 82nd at +1.
Swede Lindberg appeared unlikely to threaten early clubhouse pacesetters Alejandro Del Rey and Ewen Ferguson when he began his back nine at one under, but four birdies across his closing six holes saw him move to six under par at National Golf Club.
It wasn’t until the 18th – his ninth – that Lindberg made his first birdie of the day, but that proved to be the spark that preceded a brilliant run home for him.
The 33-year-old birdied both the par-five first and fourth, before reaching four under with a good chip after an excellent tee shot. He then rounded out his day with a pair of closing gains to vault to the summit.
Lindberg recorded a career-best third place finish at last week’s Volvo China Open to catapult into eighth position on the Asian Swing Rankings, hitting his stride ahead of this week’s fourth and final counting event on the Asian Swing.
He will now have his sights set on earning a place in the field of next month’s U.S. PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club by finishing in the top three of the Asian Swing Rankings. The winner of the Asian Swing also qualifies for all the Back 9 events and receives a US$ 200,000 prize money bonus.
South African Daniel van Tonder also went bogey-free during the afternoon wave to card a 67 and make it a three-way tie for second on the leaderboard in Belek alongside Ferguson and Del Rey.
Defending champion Martin Couvra posted a four under par opening round of 68 to sit in fifth position alongside Countryman Frederic Lacroix, England’s Sam Bairstow and Swedish duo Adam Blomme and Jens Dantorp.
On a sunny day in Belek, Antalya, with minimal breeze and preferred lies in place, 62 players in the field finished under par.
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