The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Record-smashing Li hits 62 to claim an early lead in Munich
China’s Li Haotong equalled his career-best round and also the course record with a 10-underpar 62 to take a onestroke lead in the BMW International Open in Munich.
The 26-year-old, who finished third in the 2017 Open at Birkdale after a final-round 63, had previously shot the number at the 2019 Saudi Invitational.
Starting at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried’s 10th hole, he turned in 32 after four birdies but played his final six holes in six under par thanks to two eagles at the par fives.
At the sixth he hit his 207-yard approach to six feet but produced an even better shot at his final hole to leave himself a four-footer for another eagle.
That gave him a twoshot clubhouse lead but that deficit was halved after Dutchman Daan Huizing carded nine birdies later in the day.
“It’s been an incredible day for me. I didn’t expect that as I’ve had a couple of weeks off in Dubai and I didn’t practise much,” Li said.
Home favourite Martin Kaymer sits four shots back while his former Ryder Cup team-mate Jamie Donaldson is a shot further adrift after a five-under 67.
Meanwhile world No 2 Rory McIlroy tied his lowest opening round on the PGA Tour as a bogeyfree 62 gave him the early lead at the Travelers
Championship in Connecticut.
The Northern Irishman, starting on the back nine, got his round going with a chip-in birdie at the par-five 13th having blasted his greenside bunker shot into the far fringe.
Two more birdies saw him turn in 32 but he then rattled off four more in seven holes – including a 48-footer on the seventh – to take a share of the lead with Xander Schauffele.
However, he saved his best until the par-four last when he cut the corner with a 332-yard drive to leave him 44 yards to the pin and he chipped up for a tap-in birdie to move to eight under, one shot clear of Schauffele and Scotland’s Martin Laird.
McIlroy may have only hit seven of 14 fairways but he was happy to have maintained form after winning the Canadian Open two weeks ago and then finishing joint fifth in the US Open.
He said: “I think the good thing is I’ve been playing well and you want to ride that wave of momentum you have.”
Schauffele was another player for whom preparation was not what he wanted as a mix-up over tee times meant his arrival at TPC River Highlands was slightly more rushed than usual.
However, it did not affect the American as he hit 18 greens in regulation in a bogey-free 63, matched by Laird.