Raphaël Jacquelin finished with back-to-back birdies to lead first round of the Volvo Golf Champions by one stroke from defending champion Louis Oosthuizen in The European Tour’s opening event of the 2014 calendar year.
Frenchman Jacquelin, who earned his place in the 36-man ‘tournament of champions’ field by winning the 2013 Open de España after an epic nine-hole play-off, showed few signs of rust in his game following the winter break, despite the windy conditions at Durban Country Club, in South Africa.
After opening with five straight pars, Jacquelin birdied the sixth and eighth holes before the turn, then picked up further shots on the 14th, 17th and 18th holes for a five under par round of 67.
“I managed to get everything right today,” he said. “It was a bogey‑free round, and that was the key – to go every round bogey‑free on this course. It’s a new year and it is pretty good way for me to start, so that’s great.”
Oosthuizen took a little longer to get back into the swing, dropping a shot on the first hole, but the South African hit back with five birdies for a round of 68, as he attempts to become the first player to successfully defend the Volvo Golf Champions title.
“It was a rough start, and it’s not the easiest five holes to start the day with in that wind, but, I got into a rhythm quickly at about the third, or fourth hole and felt comfortable in the wind,” he said.
“I think level par, or one under, for me would have been a nice start just to get the tournament going. But once I turned, when I got to the 10th, I really felt comfortable out there. I still left quite a few birdies out there, and I didn’t really make any putts, but, I feel good.”
Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, benefitting from a new fitness regime, shares third position with Frenchman Victor Dubuisson after both players carded opening rounds of 69.
Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie mixed six birdies with four bogeys in his round of 70 and shares fifth position with sixth other players, including the European Tour’s 2013 Rookie of the Year, American Peter Uihlein, who recovered from a triple bogey seven on the first hole.
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