June 23, 2017: The Australian Wade Ormsby arrived at Golfclub München Eichenried off the back of three missed cuts but returned to form in spectacular style, getting to eight under to take a one-shot lead from Belgian Thomas Detry. India’s Shiv Kapur scored five-under-par 67 in the first round to tie along with a bunch at T6.
Masters Tournament champion Sergio Garcia was playing his first regular European Tour event since claiming his first Major Championship at Augusta National and he carded a bogey-free 66 to sit two shots off the lead alongside Dutchman Joost Luiten and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen.
Shiv Kapur in brilliant form recently, carded seven birdies and two bogies with just three shots off the lead. He started the round with a birdie in the very first hole in front nine adding another birdie and a bogey at forth and sixth holes respectively. Though he started with a bogie in the back nine, he bounced back and fired five birdies in a stretch of seven holes.
Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson was then in the group at five under as an elite field jostled for position on a congested leaderboard in Germany.
Detry had set the target in the morning and for a long time it did not look like he would be caught before Ormsby stormed out of the blocks to turn in 30 after starting on the tenth.
Detry started with his only blemish of the day on the first but bounced back brilliantly with birdies on the second, third, fifth, sixth and ninth to turn in 32. Another birdie on the 12th had him in a share of the lead and when he holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the next, he was the man to catch.
Garcia started on the tenth and birdied the 11th, 16th and 18th to turn in 33. A beautiful approach to the fifth set up another gain before the Spaniard took advantage of the par five sixth and then put his tee-shot to the par three eighth to close range.
Luiten also started on the back nine, turning in 34, and when he bogeyed the second it looked like he would have to settle for a place in the pack. The five-time winner had other ideas, however, birdieing five of his last six holes, highlighted by a lengthy putt on the seventh.
Olesen was a picture of consistency early in his round, making birdies on the second, fourth, ninth, 11th and 13th and a stunning approach to the 16th had him within touching distance of the leaders. A poor chip on the 17th brought his only bogey of the day but he bounced straight back on the par five last.
Defending champion Stenson had a single bogey in his round to sit in the group at five under alongside fellow Swede Rikard Karlberg, Englishmen Richard Bland, Tommy Fleetwood, James Morrison and Matthew Southgate, South African Jaco Ahlers, Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat, American Daniel Im, Indian Shiv Kapur, Argentinian Andres Romero and Frenchman Joël Stalter.
Paul Peterson recorded the 19th hole-in-one of the season when he holed a four iron on the second and Romero took the tally to 20 when he repeated the trick with a five iron later in the day.
European Tour Release
