KLM Open: Paul Broadhurst took advantage of the lack of a first-class field at the KLM Open to claim a share of the lead with a four-under-par round of 66 in the Netherlands.
The 39-year-old winner of the Open de Portugal in April began and ended birdie-birdie to take some of the focus away from the European Tour's lesser lights who had benefited from the absence of the entire world top 100.
Best of the Irish contingent was Damian McGrane, tied-ninth following a two-under-par 68. Peter Lawrie finished on level par while Philip Walton and Stephen Browne were two and three under respectively.
A 10-foot putt for birdie was followed with one from four feet as Walsall-born Broadhurst, a former Ryder Cup player, went two under after two at the testing Hilversumsche Golf Club.
Another three at the 421-yard seventh took him to the turn in 33 and although he dropped a shot at the 11th he won it back after a six iron to the par-five 12th left him with an 18-foot eagle putt which lipped out.
A missed fairway cost him a bogey five at the 16th, where his challenge for the lead appeared to have faded, but a 25-foot putt at the next was followed with two putts for birdie from the front edge of the green at the par-five 18th.
"I was pleased with that because I'm not going to hit a lot of fairways round here - my driving stats prove that," said Broadhurst of the tight par-70 course. "To go round here in 66 - I'm chuffed to bits."
Broadhurst was playing with local favourite Maarten Lafeber and he revealed that had prevented him making a mess of his scorecard among some of the many trees and high rough around the course.
"At least if I hit it in the rough there was quite a few people to find it. If you were playing on your own you'd struggle to find some of them the rough is so bad," joked the Warwickshire golfer, who has been working on his downswing with coach Bob Torrance.
Sweden's Henrik Nystrom, Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Asian Tour members Dutchman Guido van der Valk and Australian Adam Groom all share the lead with Broadhurst and the latter's performance was all the more credible considering he had never played the course before.
The Sydney 26-year-old was 16th reserve on Monday and when he got the call to attend on Tuesday lunchtime he was able to play only six practice holes.
"I didn't plan on playing this tournament and was going to just hang around in London," said Groom, whose round included an eagle three at the 12th thanks to a 25-foot putt.
"I putted really well even though I missed a short one on the last (for birdie and the outright lead)."
With only 35 of the 150-strong field in red figures, anyone under par found themselves in the top 21 and Scotland's Raymond Russell was only one off the lead after his 67.
The 32-year-old from East Lothian - first man out at 7am - admitted the course, which is only 6,660 yards long, was tougher this year but he was in favour of the decision to tighten the fairways and grow the rough.
"I am not a slogger. I don't belt it miles and it is a course, especially this week, where you have to keep it on the fairway," he said.
"If you start going in that rough you are going to have to get up and down from 80 yards because it is very, very penal, which is good I think.
"If you hit the good shots you are properly rewarded. If you don't you are going to struggle. It is tough but it is fair."
The 22-year-old rookie James Heath, a protégé of Nick Faldo, carded a two-under 68 on the course where he won the top amateur prize last year while defending champion David Lynn shot a level-par 70 after bogeying the last two holes.
Denmark's Soren Hansen registered an albatross after holing his 204-yard approach to the par-five 18th but it could only improve his score to one over.
Hillversumsche ... First round scores
Irish in bold, Brit unless stated, par 70, (x) denotes amateur.
66 - G van der Valk (Ned), A Groom (Aus), P Broadhurst, H Nystrom (Swe), G Fernandez-Castano (Spa).
67 - R Russell, M Brier (Aut), P Fulker (Swe)
68 - J Skold (Swe), J Backstrom (Swe), B Teilleria (Fra), R-J Derksen (Holl), J Heath, M Roe, K Sullivan, M Fraser (Aus), F Henge (Swe), M Lafeber (Ned), B Mason, D McGrane (Ire).
69 - N Cheetham, S Wakefield, P Baker, T Spaargaren (Ned), P Edberg (Swe), R Muntz (Ned), C Hanell (Swe), A Wall, A Oldcorn, G Emerson, MA Martin (Spa), S Luna (Spa), J-F Lucquin (Fra), I Giner (Spa), M Maritz (Rsa).
70 - M Mackenzie, J Axgren (Swe), D Fichardt (Rsa), JM Lara (Spa), D Lynn, St Little, T Dier (Ger), D Griffiths, P Archer, S O'Hara, R Chapman, P Senior (Aus), A Tadini (Ita), P Lawrie (Ire), JM Carriles (Spa).
71 - L Slattery, M Sanders, F Molinari (Ita), R Coles, S Crosby (Ned), P Walton (Ire), R Bland, A Hansen (Den), (x) R Swane (Ned), R Finch, G Storm, C Monasterio (Arg), M Foster, S Jeppesen (Swe), N Colsaerts (Bel), G Bourdy (Fra), W Ormsby (Aus), S Struver (Ger), S Hansen (Den), D Gilford, D Carter, M Jonzon (Swe), I Garbutt, B Kennedy (Aus), J-A Larsen (Nor), R Rock, D Wardrop.
72 - (x) T Bierenbroodspot (Ned), D Robertson, A Marshall, M Florioli (Ita), D McGuigan, K Ferrie, S Manley, (x) J Luiten (Ned), L Brovold (Nor), A Johl (Ind), F Delamontagne (Fra), L Oosthuizen (Rsa), O Wilson, A Cruse (Rsa), Sa Little, A Ruiz-Fonhof (Ned), J van de Velde (Fra), T Price (Aus), B Lane, A Forsyth, A McLardy (Rsa), G Orr, S Fernandez (Arg).
73 - J Spence, S Browne (Ire), B Dredge, G Havret (Fra), M King, D Park, R Wechgalaer (Ned), I van Weerelt (Ned), M Erlandsson (Swe), M Mouland, P Fowler (Aus), C Rodiles (Spa), P Sjoland (Swe), L Westerberg (Swe).
74 - A Maestroni (Ita), (x) R Niemer (Ned), K Eriksson (Swe), J Bickerton, S Delagrange (Fra), D Drysdale, P Golding, G Brand Jnr, M Eliasson (Swe), P Eales, H Rey (Arg).
75 - C Cevaer (Fra), J Moseley (Aus), C Rocca (Ita), J Sandelin (Swe), F Andersson (Swe), J Kok (Rsa), N Zitny (Aut) .
76 - S Scahill, S Hurd, T Moore (Rsa), E Canonica (Ita), M Blackey.
77 - M Ilonen (Fin), (x) F De Vries (Ned), M Moser (Aut), F Roca (Spa), (x) M Richardson .
78 - A Coltart, G Houston, M Cayeux (Zim), N Kraaij (Ned) 80 M Bernardini (Ita), 81 - A Bossert (Swi), 83 - R Bos (Ned).
