Syme makes promising start as play halts in Japan
CONNOR SYME was a shot off the lead after finishing his round on his first start since securing a third consecutive top 10 at the Jonsson Workwear Open on March 10.
German Yannik Paul was among a five-way tie for the lead when play was suspended due to darkness after a fog-interrupted first day of the
ISPS Handa Championship.
The 30-year-old came close to a Ryder Cup debut last season as he recorded seven top 10s to add to his win in 2022 but narrowly missed out, finishing fourth on the European points list.
He secured his third top 10 finish of 2024 last time out at the Hero Indian Open and brought that form to Japan, carding his lowest round since January with a 65 that left him at five under in the clubhouse alongside local favourites Tomoyo Ikemura, Taisei Shimizu and Taiki Yoshida.
“Delighted,” Scotland’s Syme said after starting on the 10th and making four birdies in a row from the 18th in a bogey-free 66. “I’ve not played in six weeks, tournamentwise anyway, so it was nice to come back. I don’t think I had a bogey today which was really pleasing so it’s a nice way to start back.”
Japan’s Taiga Nagano was also at five under with seven holes remaining, with some players left with as many as 10 holes to play in round one after a near three-hour fog delay.
Elsewhere, England’s Rosie Davies hit a six-under par opening round of 66 to share the lead of the Investec South African Women’s Open in Cape Town.
After a bogey at the first, Davies recovered with three successive birdies.
Despite dropping a shot again on the seventh, the 34-year-old picked up another five strokes on the back nine to take the clubhouse lead alongside Switzerland’s Elena Moosmann.
“We definitely had the better of the weather conditions in the morning,” Davies said.
“It was nice and calm on the front nine, so I thought to myself if I can get a couple, whilst everybody is going to have to battle wind in the afternoon, that will give me a little bit of an advantage.”