Syme shoots opening 66 but is left ‘disappointed’ after low-scoring day in Tenerife

Connor Syme joined Rhys Enoch in shooting the lights out early on in the opening round of the Canary Islands Championship before both players ended up being upstaged by Francesco Laporta, writes Martin Dempster.

Syme started the final event on the European Tour’s new

Canary Islands Swing with a bogey at the tenth before picking up two eagles in the next three holes then adding three birdies in quick succession to be six-under after eight holes.

But, after finishing his front nine with a bogey-6 and then coming home in level par, the 25-year-old had to settle for a five-under66onalow-scoring day at Golf Costa Adeje.

The effort left Syme sitting in a share of 16th, four shots behind Laporta after the Italian came in late in the day with a card containing an eagle and eight birdies. He leads by a shot from Spaniard Scott Fernandez, whose great granny came from Glasgow, with Welshman Enoch in a group on sixunder along with Calum Hill and Richie Ramsay.

Enoch set up a golden chance to become just the second player in European Tour history to break 60 after being seven-under through five holes before faltering around the turn.

His frustration was shared by Syme, who had been hoping for better after what he described as “fun little spell of golf ” as he chipped in at the 11th then holed a 40-footer for his second eagle two holes later. “It’s not very often you come off the golf course disappointed in shooting a 66,” he said. “I was absolutely flying to be six-under through eight holes with a bogey.

“So it was a funny day. Fiveunder is a good start, but it could have definitely been a lot better.”

Hill carded an eagle and six birdies while Ramsay produced a bogey-free effort in securing the start he’d been looking for in his bid to get into title contention again. “My putting compared to last week (was pleasing),” said Hill. “I only had one three putt today and many of them last week, so that was much better.”

Grant Forrest, the fourth Scot in the field, bogeyed the lastfora67,onelessthansouth African Dean Burmester, last week’s Tenerife Open winner at the same venue.