Lopes leads with lucky seven in Portugal

ROUND-UP

HOME favourite Vitor Lopes shot a seven-under-par 65 to top the leaderboard after day one of the Open de Portugal.

The 24-year-old, who predominantly plies his trade on the third-tier Alps Tour, took advantage of a field missing those competing in the US Open with an eagle, six birdies and a single dropped shot.

At seven under Lopes, whose biggest win on the European Tour’s feeder Challenge Tour was a cheque for 1,340 euros (£1,200) in Denmark last year, led by two from France’s Damien Perrier and Spain’s Carlos Pigem.

Another local hope, Ricardo Santos, carded a 68 at Royal Obidos to share fourth with South African Garrick Higgo, German Alexander Knappe and American Julian Suri.

Last week’s winner George Coetzee – the only member of the world’s top 100 competing – opened with a three-under 69 to sit alongside leading British contenders David Boote, Nathan Kimsey, Gary King and Andrew Wilson.

Meanwhile, England’s Charlotte Thompson and Gabriella Cowley fired opening rounds of 68 to join French amateur Lucie Malchirand in a share of the lead at the 2020 Lacoste Ladies Open De France.

Thompson recovered from playing her first four holes in three over par with six birdies, including a hat-trick of gains from the 13th in an inward half of 31 at Golf du Medoc.

“I changed my mindset on the fifth tee and changed my gameplan, I decided to see how many birdie putts I could set up to take my mind off the score and figured that I’m rolling it well, and the birdies would drop,” Thompson said.

Cowley, who considered withdrawing from the event due to illness, carded five birdies and two bogeys in her 68 and said: “I spoke to my Dad before teeing off. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I would play, but I’m not the sort of person to not at least try.”