Joy grabs lead at Casablanca Open
It was a solid day from tee to green. It’s a fairly new course, but actually it’s quite good and fair Luke Joy
— Luke Joy shrugged off early season blues, firing a bogey-free five-under 66 to seize the early momentum going into the second round of the Tour’s Palmeraie Country Club Casablanca Open on Tuesday.
The talented Englishman picked up four birdies in his last five holes after making the turn at one-under to go two clear of his compatriots Lee Corfield and Jordan Loft and Sweden’s Henric Sturehed on a day when 20 players broke par.
Spain’s Carlos Balmaseda and England’s Joshua White, the winner of the Tour’s Order of Merit title in 2014, were tied for fifth, a further shot adrift, in a nine-man group which also included Englishman Benjamin David, who made his professional debut on Tuesday.
“It was a solid day from tee to green. It’s a fairly new course, but actually it’s quite good and fair. The greens are just fantastic and they rolled very well. Had great fun out there. Also, the weather was quite good,” said Joy, a twotime winner on the tour.
About his playing partner Craig Kieswetter, the former England cricketer who returned a 75, he said he thoroughly enjoyed his company. “He is always in good spirits. Now that he has earned his ( Tour) card for this season, I hope he will be a regular on the tour.”