• Open de France, Round One

McIlroy in touch as Derksen forges ahead

ESPN staff
July 1, 2010
Jean van de Velde rolled back the years to shoot a first-round 66 © Getty Images
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Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen leads the way after the first day of action at the Open de France but it was native Jean van de Velde who wrote the headlines as he rolled back the years with a five-under-par 66.

The 44-year-old, who famously missed out on winning the 1999 Open Championship at Carnousite by carding a triple-bogey seven on the 72nd hole before losing out in a play-off to Paul Lawrie, showed no signs of rustiness in only his second start on the European Tour this year.

The Frenchman - who has also endured his fair share of dramas on the Paris-based layout over the years, most notably in 2005 when he lost a play-off to compatriot Jean-Francois Remesy after going in the water on the final hole again - carded birdies at three, four, nine, 14 and 15 in a faultless opening effort at his home event to trail the lead by three shots.

"I had no expectation coming here and I know the place like the back of my hand so I was very relaxed out there," Van de Velde said. "I have been pretty much been everywhere you can go on this course so there is nothing that I am surprised by.

"I'm hitting the ball pretty well and I am putting nicely. This event has a special place in my heart. If I can stay within myself and play good golf then you never know. You never know with a Frenchman."

Defending champion Martin Kaymer and Spain's Alejandro Canizares are alongside van de Velde at the summit. Kaymer, who finished eighth at the US Open at Pebble Beach, got his defence underway with two birdies in his first six holes before a bogey on 18 - the German's ninth hole of the day - pegged him back.

An improved showing on the inward nine, which included a terrific pitch to five feet at the sixth hole, propelled the world No. 11 to five-under, where he was joined by Canizares, who lifted a steady round with six birdies in the space of 10 holes.

World No. 10 Rory McIlroy, playing alongside Kaymer, began his challenge in solid style with an opening 68. The Ulsterman stood at one-under after a terrific approach to three feet on the 443-yard 12th - his third.

Rory McIlroy made a soild start with a three-under round of 68 © Getty Images
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A bogey at 17 stunted the 21-year-old's momentum but another inch-perfect shot into the green on the second kicked off a run of three birdies in four holes. A wayward second shot at the par-five ninth cost McIlroy the chance to gain a further shot but a wonderful recovery shot from the thick rough meant he finished on three-under - two shots off the pace.

"It was a solid opening round although the course was playing probably as easy as it will all week," McIlroy said. "The greens were soft and there wasn't much wind out there for us but 68 is not a bad score. It is something to build on."

Last year's runner-up Lee Westwood shrugged off his recent health problems to reach the turn in 33 but bogeys at 14 and 17 spoiled the 37-year-old's day as he carded a one-under 70.

"It's pretty good score for a practice round because I haven't played here for a year," Westwood said. "I played ok and you can never be unhappy with finishing under-par. The leg was a bit sore and a bit stiff but I'll be fine."

Fellow Englishmen Chris Wood and Ross Fisher finished level-par for the day, although the latter will be feeling extremely frustrated by a card which contained six birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey and underlined the 29-year-old's erratic form of late. Ian Poulter, who has been struggling with an infected insect bite, did not fair quite as well as he cancelled out two birdies with three dropped three to finish at one-over.

Ryder Cup star Oliver Wilson carded a 68 to put himself in contention, while Madrid Masters champion Luke Donald recovered from making four bogeys in his first nine holes to post a one-under 70. Last week's BMW International winner David Horsey made a steady start to the tournament as he signed for a first-round 70 to join Donald on one-under-par.

Marcel Siem, who led the field heading into the final day at the Wales Open, reached seven-under after 12 holes as he ripped up the course with a string of piercing iron shots, but a double-bogey six at the 13th and a dropped shot at the 18th meant the German had to settle for a four-under-par round of 67. New Zealand's Danny Lee, the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur Championships, reached the same score earlier in the day as he holed four birdies in a bogey-free round.

South Africa's Charl Schwartzel, who had led the Race to Dubai standings until Graeme McDowell passed him by winning the Wales Open, threatened to swallow up the morning leaders as he raced to within a shot of the lead with four birdies on the front nine. A bogey at 11 spoiled that run and the 25-year-old failed to restart his birdie charge as he suffered a further blip at the 17th to finish on three-under.

Colin Montgomerie continued to battle himself rather than the golf course as his problems with the putter blighted a potentially good round. The Europe Ryder Cup captain mixed four bogeys with two birdies to finish on two-over-par after shooting a first-round 74.

Playing partner Geoff Ogilvy, the man who denied the Scot US Open glory at Winged Foot in 2006, also endured a difficult day as he blotted four birdies with six bogeys to finish on the same total as Montgomerie.

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