Waring fires bogey-free round for two-shot advantage
SAINT- QUENTIN- EN-YVELINES ( France): Englishman Paul Waring fired an opening-round seven-under 64 to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the French Open at Golf National.
The world No. 279 carded seven birdies in his bogey-free effort to sit atop the leaderboard, with Belgian Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters in a three-way tie for second place on Thursday.
Spaniard Jon Rahm signed for a one-under 70 as he looks to boost his chances of playing in the Ryder Cup at Golf National next year, while Tommy Fleetwood, who challenged at the US Open earlier this month, is only three strokes off the lead.
The 32-year-old Waring had four birdies in five holes on the back nine on his way to the lead.
Waring, who is having the best season of his career so far, will play at a Major championship for the first time since 2008 at next month’s British Open.
“I’m obviously made up,” he told the European Tour website. “I only hit five fairways which is obscene around here. But I had ten putts on the back nine.
“Obviously rolled the putter great and gave myself some real chances out there and took them.”
Pieters, 25, is looking for his first title of the season after three top-10 finishes, including at the Masters in April.
The world No. 28 poured in three successive birdies on the Albatros course on his way to a round of 66, with a bogey on the par-five ninth his only blemish.
England’s Fleetwood, who reached a career-high ranking of 21st by finishing fourth in the US Open at Erin Hills, is another who will be expecting to qualify for Thomas Bjorn’s European Ryder Cup team.
Nathan Kimsey and Sweden’s Alexander Bjork are the other two players tied for second with Pieters, while Thailand’s defending champion Thongchai Jaidee struggled to a one-over 72.
Meanwhile, the mother of golfer Li Haotong went into the water to recover her son’s discarded putter. After she grabbed it, she realised it was broken and threw it back in.
Li’s mother rolled up her shorts and waded through the muddy water as players watched. She carefully moved forward and collected the broken club.
“I don’t think il (sic) ever see a player’s mum trying to rescue a snapped putter from a pond again,” golfer Tyrrell Hatton wrote on Twitter .
A video put on Twitter by the European Tour showed Hatton and Thomas Pieters laughing on the nearby 11th green as Li’s mother realised the club was useless. Once back on dry land, she threw it into the water.
Li threw his club into the water out of frustration after bogeying the par-3 11th hole. He was playing two groups ahead of Hatton and Pieters at the tournament, which started on Thursday on the outskirts of Paris.
After the incident, Li played the final seven holes in level par using a sand wedge as a putter. He even birdied the 14th and finished the first round at even-par 71.