WARING LOOKS PART IN FRANCE

ENGLAND’S Paul Waring left some of Europe’s biggest names trailing in his wake to claim the lead after the first round of the £5.4million HNA Open de France. Waring (below) who is competing this season on a medical exemption due to ongoing back problems which restricted him to four starts in 2016, carded seven birdies in a flawless opening 64 at Le Golf National, venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup. That left the former English Amateur champion two shots clear of Thomas Pieters, Alexander Bjork and qualifying school winner Nathan Kimsey, with Tommy Fleetwood part of a three-strong group on four under. Pieters, who won a record four points from five matches on his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine, carded six birdies and a solitary bogey in his 66 after benefiting from a putting lesson from the coach of fellow Belgian Thomas Detry. ‘I did some good work on Sunday with Thomas Detry’s putting coach and he made a bunch of putts last week so I figured he’s good,’ said Pieters. ‘It was about visualising and I definitely saw the ball go in the hole before I hit it. I’ve been a feel putter my whole life and to get one little tip on seeing those putts go in really helped for me.’ Kimsey, who won the qualifying school last year after coming through all three stages, recovered from a bogey on his opening hole — the 10th — to card five birdies in the next six on his way to a 66, which matched Bjork’s flawless effort. Fleetwood, who followed his fourth place in the US Open with a tie for sixth in last week’s BMW International Open, carded four birdies in a flawless 67 to share fifth place with American Peter Uihlein and Germany’s Florian Fritsch. Former champions Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell were three off the pace after rounds of 69, while Paul Dunne shot a 70. Shane Lowry has work to do after a 74 while Darren Clarke had a disastrous 84 which included a quadruple bogey on the 18th.