Driver change is inspired for Colsaerts

An impressive burst of scoring either side of the turn helped Nicolas Colsaerts fire a 64 as he sprinted into a share of the lead after the first round of the Turkish Open yesterday.

The Belgian reeled off an eagle and six birdies in an inspired 12-hole run from the fourth to join Dutchman Joost Luiten and Haydn Porteous of South Africa on seven-under-par at the European Tour event.

One stroke adrift on 65 at the Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort were Irishman Padraig Harrington and Andres Romero of Argentina, who had a brief scare when Richard Sterne wandered off without signing his playing partner’s card.

Colsaerts, one of the biggest hitters on the Tour, said his performance was largely down to a recent decision to switch the longest club in his bag. “I’ve changed to another Callaway driver,” the golfer, 34, told reporters.

“It seems like I can do what I want with this one. I’m really happy with the way it’s been going. Once I’m comfortable off the tee, I’m always going to be up there,” said Colsaerts, who made his one and only Ryder Cup appearance in 2012, the year he achieved the last of two wins on the European Tour.

Luiten produced a bogey-free round with seven birdies. “That’s a bonus,” the Dutchman said. “I basically hit the wrong club into the green and to walk away with a birdie, that’s maybe two shots difference.

“That’s what you need sometimes, to hole shots like that and get away with it. That keeps the round going,” added Luiten.

Porteous, winner of the Czech Masters in August, also claimed seven birdies in another faultless round.

The South African, 23, is not yet certain of a place in the finale to the season, the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, which starts on November 19, but yesterday’s round has given him the confidence boost.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who has a lead of more than 850,000 points at the top of the money list, opened his campaign with a level-par 71.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia, in second spot, is missing this week but third-placed Justin Rose, fresh from his WGC-HSBC Champions win in China on Sunday, carded a 69 to give himself a solid start to the competition.