World number seven Henrik Stenson briefly feared the worst before finding top gear to card an eventful 67 in the BMW International in Munich yesterday. Stenson, who shared the lead after the first round of the US Open a week ago, faded to a tie for 27th after memorably likening holing out at Chambers Bay to "putting on broccoli".
But the former European number one found the putting surfaces at Eichenried golf club more to his liking as he overcame a triple bogey with eight birdies to finish five under par, two shots behind leaders Lasse Jensen, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Daniel Gaunt.
Starting on the back nine in a group with Shane Lowry and Martin Kaymer, Stenson made an ideal start with birdies on the 11th and 12th, but then contrived to take seven on the 319-yard 16th when his approach spun back off the green into a water hazard.
The 39-year-old bounced back with a birdie on the 18th and picked up another shot on the first before surging through the field with four birdies in succession from the fifth. Another birdie looked on the cards following a perfect drive on the par-five ninth, but Stenson pulled his approach left and saw it bounce off a cart path and into a hospitality tent.
“It would have felt really nice to finish with a birdie on nine to make nine birdies and a triple to shoot six under, but eight birdies and a triple isn’t too bad either,” said Stenson. “Potentially there were some thoughts about the airport after I made a triple on the 16th without doing too much wrong, but I came to my senses and started playing some golf afterwards. I guess the patience practice at the US Open was paying off.
“The greens are soft, but they are rolling nicely.”
Lowry got off to a slow start with a level-par 72. Fresh from ninth place in the US Open, the Offaly man would have been relishing the wide fairways and plentiful birdie opportunities available at Eichenried, the polar opposite of the much-maligned Chambers Bay.
He started his round brightly, but three consecutive bogeys from 14 through 16 meant he was always playing catch-up. His 72 left him seven shots adrift of the leaders, so it fell to Kevin Phelan and Damien McGrane to head the Irish charge with rounds of 68 and 69 respectively.
Cabrera-Bello has finished fourth, 13th and second in his past three events, but let good chances to win a third European Tour title slip in the Irish Open and Lyoness Open.
“I’ve been playing well for a few weeks now and did so again today,” said the 31-year-old Spaniard, who fired nine birdies and two bogeys in his 65. “I putted really nicely and holed a few good long ones, so it was nice to keep the momentum going after a week off.” “The set-up and the atmosphere in this tournament is very, very special, and it’s only Thursday,” Cabrera-Bello added. “It felt like a weekend almost, with really big crowds out there. It’s nice and it helps you get in the zone.”
Jansen carded seven birdies in a flawless round, while Gaunt, a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour, birdied his first three holes and added five more against a solitary bogey.
“When you get off to a good start like that, it kickstarts your day,” Gaunt said.
England's Andrew Johnston was a shot off the pace on six under, while compatriot Tommy Fleetwood was alongside Stenson on five under.
After scrambling a bogey at the third hole, Fleetwood birdied the next, eagled the sixth and birdied the ninth.
“I finished strongly and hit some decent shots coming in, but it was a struggle all day,” he said. “And rounds like that are great when you get something out of them.”
Home favourite and 2008 champion Martin Kaymer had to settle for a level-par 72 which at least featured an unlikely birdie on the ninth, when he pitched from the edge of a pond to six feet after his approach had bounced out of the trees.
