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Shinkwin suffering from injury and illness but finds form at KLM Dutch Open

Moor Park’s Callum Shinkwin shot a six-under 66 in the 2019 KLM Open first round

Moor Park’s Callum Shinkwin put his recent back problem behind him to lead after the first round in the 100th KLM Open, in Holland. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MOOR Park’s Callum Shinkwin carded a superb six-under par 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the 100th edition of the KLM Open.

The Hertfordshire player sits 126th in the Race to Dubai rankings and 446th in the Official World Golf Rankings – but belied his status to lead a large chasing pack at The International.

Shinkwin said: “My golf as of late has not been great, as has my health as well, but the golf… is still not there, still very uncomfortable – but I managed to turn it round and shoot a good round of 66.

“I caught food poisoning back in Sweden – it can happen anywhere – but I caught it there and couldn’t get up on that Friday morning

“And then I’ve had a bit of a bad back as well. My back went last week and I thought the best thing to do it to walk in and basically have the weekend off and recover.

The former Walker Cup player, who claimed the Hampshire Hog at North Hants GC, in 2012, and then took the Hampshire Salver a year later when he went on to face the USA at New York’s Long Island, revealed that despite the illness and injuries, he has been battling to get back to the form that saw him lose a play-off with Rafa Cabrera Bello at the 2017 Scottish Open.

Shinkwin said: “Just working hard really. Been down the range, working on what I needed to work on. I wasn’t hitting the ball very well, that’s probably why the back wasn’t great.

“But I’m just working hard and if I’m feeling uncomfortable then that means I’m doing the right things.”

The 26-year-old reached the turn in 32 courtesy of an eagle, three birdies and one dropped shot before a blemish free back nine – which included two gains – help him to the top of the leaderboard.

Malaysian Gavin Green made a trademark fast start to finish on five-under, with Shinkwin’s playing partner Swede Per Langfors carding 67 to sit alongside Scot Marc Warren, Dane Nicolai Højgaard, and Englishmen Chris Paisley, Sam Horsfield and Matthew Southgate at five-under.

The 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia led a group of eight players one shot further adrift at four-under after signing for a bogey-free 68 on a low scoring morning in the Netherlands.

Garcia said: “It was nice. Obviously, the conditions got a little bit trickier in the last six or seven holes with the wind picking up a little bit. Before that it was quite nice, so I am happy with that.

“The experience yesterday wasn’t very good in the pro-am with the rain and my neck was a little bit stiff, but we are playing through it and hopefully it won’t creep up on me throughout the week.

“The course is nice, the greens are very nice and rolling at a nice speed, so it is a good-looking golf course with big greens and a lot of movement.

“I need a little bit more of the same thing I did today. Just keep working on the confidence and keep working hard like I have been doing, and hopefully I will have a chance this week.”

Defending champion Wu Ashun was one of 10 players at three-under, including two-time KLM Open winner and playing partner Joost Luiten, who came home in a remarkable 30 after carding his opening front nine in three-over.

Luiten, who is going for a hat-trick of wins in his national Open during its centenary, said: “I felt like my mindset changed a little bit.

“I was three-over after nine and I thought alright, I am just going to go for every flag now, I can’t play safe anymore.

“I was playing a bit too safe on the front nine and that is where the mistakes came from and started to steer the ball a little bit away from the flags.

“Once you get the birdies going you get in the zone and then you don’t really realise what is going on around you.

“You just want to make more birdies, and it’s great that it happened. To make six, I created enough chances to make birdies and that is what you need to do on a course like this.”

•For live scoring in the KLM Open click here.

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