Paisley’s form in France anything but magnifique
STOCKSFIELD’S Chris Paisley and Lee Westwood from Close House both shot 77’s (six over par) in the first round of the Open de France.
Playing the 7,331-yard par-71 Le golf National Albatros course 20 miles west of Paris, Paisley found it a tough test - windy conditions and lush fairways making the course play its full length.
He started from the 10th with four successive pars - but at the 595-yard par-five 14th found trouble off the tee and carded a bogey six.
Paisley had pars at 15 and 16, then another bogey at the 17th.
At the 18th he made an excellent par four to turn in a two-over-par 37.
Paisley then claimed a superb birdie at the first.
A par three followed at the second but at the 558-yard par-five third he suffered a double-bogey seven.
Visibly shaken, Paisley dropped another shot at the fourth and went to four over par with five holes to play. He made pars at the fifth and sixth but mishit his second shot to the seventh and had another bogey.
After a good par at the eighth, he endured a bogey six at the longest hole on the course - the 592-yard par-five ninth.
Westwood experienced a similarly torrid time after a bizarre beginning to his round.
Following a bogey at the second, he reached the green at the third with two tremendous shots and sunk a 12-yard putt for an eagle three the only one of the day from the 160 competitors.
Westwood settled with three further pars but nosedived at the seventh with a triple bogey seven.
He dropped another shot at the eighth, then, after a par at the ninth, turned in a four-over par 40.
Another bogey followed at the 10th, then four pars from the 11th.
A bogey at the difficult 15th was followed by pars at the last three holes.