Moritz Lampert and Danie Van Tonder took charge on the first day of the new European Challenge Tour season as they shared a one shot lead at the Barclays Kenya Open after the opening round.
Lampert’s bogey-free round of 66 put him on six under par where he was soon joined by South African van Tonder, one shot ahead of French duo Clément Berardo and Adrien Saddier as well as Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg.
Lampert won three times in the 2014 Challenge Tour season to earn instant promotion to the European Tour, and he is keen for similar success this year.
“It’s good to be back,” said the 23 year old. “Two years ago on Challenge Tour was the best season I have ever had so, though I would like to be on the European Tour, I’ve set my goals for this year and I’m enjoying it so let’s see what we can do.
“I feel really comfortable around here and I played quite a lot of practice – 18 holes on Monday, 9 on Tuesday and then 18 in the Pro-Am – just to get a feeling of how far the ball goes and what it does out of the semi-rough.
“The key today was that I putted well, I got a lot of up-and-downs that were quite important and if I hit more fairways in the next couple of days that will really help because my iron game is really good right now.
“My off season was great. I lost my European Tour card and took four weeks off and regrouped, had a good practice with my coach and my national team, then I played two events in Morocco on the ProGolf Tour and I won the first one, which gave me confidence, and this is a good start.”
Another player who caught the eye was Kenyan amateur Mathew Wahome, whose three under par round of 69 put him alongside fellow amateur, Frenchman Romain Langasque, among others in a share of ninth position.
“I’m very pleased,” said the 18 year old from Mombasa. “It was better than last year when I felt the pressure a little bit but this year I came here with my game plan and I managed to execute it perfectly today.
“My plan is to hit three wood off the tee and make fairways, make all the greens and then make a few putts – luckily I holed a few putts to save par and it all worked out great.
“It’s a really exciting week to have the Challenge Tour here, and I’m really pleased to be here for a second year – hopefully I can make the cut this time, that’s the plan anyway.
“I was definitely nervous – on my first tee shot I was basically shaking the whole time – but I talked to my caddie and my playing partners, who were so friendly, and it eased the pressure.”
Scores after round 1:
66 D Van Tonder (RSA) , M Lampert (Ger) ,
67 S Soderberg (Swe) , C Berardo (Fra) , A Saddier (Fra) ,
68 J Blaauw (RSA) , S Jeppesen (Swe) , S Forsstrom (Swe) ,
69 M Lundberg (Swe) , J Mullen (Eng) , G Porteous (Eng) , S Walker (Eng) , A Velasco (Esp) , J Robinson (Eng) , D Perrier (Fra) , T Remkes (Ned) , D Indiza Anyonyi (Ken) , R Langasque (am) (Fra) , M Wahome (am) (Ken) ,
70 G Axell (Swe) , B Rusch (Sui) , E Van Rooyen (RSA) , G Hurley (Irl) , C Bezuidenhout (RSA) , M Palmer (RSA) , R Charania (Ken) , D Van Driel (Ned) , J Dantorp (Swe) , N Geyger (Chi) , S Fernandez (Esp) , O Farr (Wal) , C Sordet (Fra) , M Bremner (RSA) ,
71 P Howard (Eng) , P Mejow (Ger) , M Pavon (Fra) , S Hodgson (Eng) , J Sarasti (Esp) , D Frittelli (RSA) , T Bakker (Fin) , A Knappe (Ger) , B Ritthammer (Ger) , S Hutsby (Eng) , B Njoroge (Ken) , J Gonnet (Fra) , T Murray (Eng) , D Odhiambo (Ken) , G Shaw (Nir) , D Coupland (Eng) , R Santos (Por) , J Stalter (Fra) , D Huizing (Ned) , L Gagli (Ita) ,
72 C Basson (RSA) , V Riu (Fra) , D Ulrich (Sui) , J Doherty (Sco) , J White (Eng) , J Girrbach (Sui) , R Saxton (Ned) , J Barnes (Eng) , S Heisele (Ger) , D Foos (Ger) , J Guerrier (Fra) , P Figueiredo (Por) , E Johansen (Nor) , K Phelan (Irl) , H Joannes (Bel) , F Bergamaschi (Ita) , E Dubois (Fra) , N Simwa (Ken) , S Ngigi (Ken) , R Evans (Eng) , D Wakhu (Ken) , E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) , G Moynihan (Irl) , J Garcia Pinto (Esp) , M Schneider (Ger) , A Tadini (Ita) , N Quintarelli (Ita) ,
73 J Lara (Esp) , C Mivis (Bel) , S Griffiths (Eng) , B Simwa (Ken) , C Ford (Eng) , A Karlsson (Swe) , J Makitalo (Fin) , J Okello (Ken) , P Shields (Sco) , E Kofstad (Nor) , N Ngugi (Ken) ,
74 P Relecom (Bel) , S Tiley (Eng) , G Woolgar (Eng) , E Di Nitto (Ita) , N Ravano (Ita) , P Widegren (Swe) , M Orrin (Eng) , J Loughrey (Eng) , O Bekker (RSA) , C Doak (Sco) , T Pulkkanen (Fin) , D Law (Sco) , A Odoh (Ngr) , T Omuli (Ken) , J Smith (Eng) ,
75 J Glennemo (Swe) , R West (RSA) , A Pavan (Ita) , C Mowat (RSA) , A Hartø (Den) , M Delpodio (Ita) , L Nemecz (Aut) , R Kind (Ned) , W Besseling (Ned) , M Keskari (Ger) ,
76 M Armitage (Eng) , C Gloet (Den) , S Connor (Eng) , M Muthiya (Zam) , S Henry (Sco) , J Hakizimana (Rwa) , S Einhaus (Ger) , C Selfridge (Nir) , J Senior (Eng) , C Wangai (Ken) , H Casey (Eng) , R McGee (Irl) ,
77 J Sjöholm (Swe) , M Tullo (Chi) , V Seeneevassen (Mus) , K Johannessen (Nor) , D Wright (Eng) , V Byamukama (Uga) , J Lando Casanova (Fra) , S Brown (Eng) , A Rai (Eng) ,
78 A Chesters (Eng) , A Orende (Ken) , C Del Moral (Esp) , M Nixon (Eng) , R Ainley (Ken) , W Harrold (Eng) , C Koerbler (Aut) , F Matilo (Ken) , J Kariuki (am) (Ken) ,
79 M Omondi (Ken) , J Madoya (Ken) , E Ooko Obura (Ken) , K Bollo (am) (Ken) ,
80 D Opati (Ken) ,
81 R Otile (am) (Uga) ,
82 G Snow (Ken) , J Karichu (am) (Ken) ,
83 J Muigai (Ken) ,
86 S Muthugia (Ken)
