Northern Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin leads the English Championship after the first round at Hanbury Manor having shot a superb 63 as one of the late starters. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

An opening round of 63 by Cormac Sharvin was enough to open up a one-shot cushion over a congested leaderboard in the inaugural English Championship.

The Northern Irishman dropped just two shots to reach eight-under par – on a day of perfect scoring conditions at Hanbury Manor Marriot Hotel and Country Club – to move one ahead of a group of six players.

The English trio of Jack Senior Laurie Canter and David Howell had all held the lead. Lancastrian Senior had gone out in 29, and got to eight-under before two late bogeys saw him drop back.

Canter and Howell – who holed his second shot on the 15th – also dropped shots on the 17^th to fall back into the pack.

They ended round one of the third event of the UK Swing alongside Belgian Thomas Detry, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, and Australians Min Woo Lee and Jason Scrivener.

Sharvin said: “It was a nice round – played really well, Didn’t do too much wrong. Put it on the fairway, hit a lot of good shots and holed a few putts as well and it all added up to 63.

“Pretty happy to start well. A long way to go. But it’s always nice to shoot a good score on the first day and not put yourself out of it.

“I feel like last week I didn’t play too badly.” Cormac added: “I just struggled on the greens.

“I did a lot of work with Dean Robertson my old college coach, who has been caddying for me on the UK Swing.

“Did a lot of work on my putting process and it seemed to work. Hopefully it keeps going in that direction and see where it takes us,” said Sharvin.

English pair in hunt at Hanbury

CANTER and Howell sit one shot ahead of a group of nine players, including Belgian Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsaerts and rising Danish star Rasmus Højgaard.

The pair recorded rounds of 65 to sit at six-under after the European Tour returned to the Hertfordshire venue for the first time since 1999.

Canter, from Somerset, said: “I got off to a great start. I said to my caddie on the putting green I didn’t feel like I was getting to grips with the greens.

“Then on the first hole I holed a 60-footer right across it. Funny how that happened.

“Played really nicely. I’d have that swing back on 17, but I’m happy with today.

“I have tried to do things a bit differently because we have the opportunity to. I’ve always played with keeping the card hanging over my head.

“Someone I work with asked ‘how are you going to approach the game differently?’ It’s not rocket science.

“I’ve tried to do a couple of things. It’s early to say it’s working. I’ve only played nine rounds.

“It’s been more enjoyable – which is one thing I’ve taken out of it and I’m having fun out there. We’ll see how long that continues.”

David Howell’s last win came in 2013 in the Alfred Dunhill Links at St Andrews

Howell: I just needed a good start

TWO-time Ryder Cup winner Howell has struggled to replicate his big wins of 2006 after a long-term back condition hampered his career.

The Broome Manor GC member, from Swindon, has now been on tour for 25 years and has five wins including the HSBC Invitational in 2005, when he beat Tiger Woods in Shanghai.

Howell, whose last win came in the Alfred Dunhill Links seven years ago, said: “It’s been a long time since I’ve put a good first round on the board to be honest. It’s what I’ve been crying out for.

“I’ve played some reasonable golf in spurts since we’ve come back but haven’t got off to a great start.

“Today it happened so it was lovely. Nice to see my name somewhere near the top of the leaderboard, if not the top.

“There was a lovely family, the only gallery we would have, in their property behind the 15th green.

“Might be the only golf fans we play in front of for the entire UK Swing.

“They happened to be sat there on their own lawn when the ball went in. They were the give away that it was indeed an eagle.”

Howell was the clubhouse leader with the six others until Sharvin overtook them late in the afternoon.

Detry on a roll after English Open near miss

THOMAS Detry has been touted by many people as a winner in waiting on the European Tour and lost out to Florida-based Mancunian Sam Horsfield in last week’s English Open.

Detry, who made nine birdies in his 64, said: “It was really good. Built up a bit of momentum from last week I think.

“I got off to a really good start, with an eagle chance at the second, a birdie putt at the third.

Detry added: “I was just rolling – had four more birdies on the last four holes of the front nine.

“Then I kept it going. I made two little mistakes on 11 and 17 but I’m very pleased with the way I’m playing golf right now.

“You’ve just got to forget about it and this week is just another chance to put my name up there and have a chance on Sunday.

“That’s what I think I’ve done today and hopefully I can keep going the next few days. Last week was not easy.

“I played some really good golf but Sam Horsfield hit an amazing shot on 17 to birdie that hole and beat me by one, so we just move on.”

Min Woo Lee has been tipped for thE top. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Min Woo Lee hopes he turned corner at Ware

ANOTHER young player touted for great things is former US Junior Amateur Champion Min Woo Lee.

He said: “I just striped it awesome. I hit it really good with my irons and my driver and rolled a few in.

“I think my longest putt was 25 feet, so I was pretty happy with that. It’s scoreable but you’ve also got to hit your shots.

“I hit it really awesome and close to the hole so it gave me a lot of opportunities.”

Lee, who sister is an LPGA winner, narrowly missed out on his European Tour card for 2020.

But he picked up the ISPS Handa Vic Open title in February to regain his playing privileges.

And he admitted the UK Swing had not started well for the 22-year-old before his arrival at Ware’s Hanbury Manor, in Hertforshire.

Lee said: “The results weren’t there for me. I missed the cut. I felt pretty down after those two and then you come out here and play really good.

“That’s golf. I worked hard in my break and on the weekends when I missed the cut. So it’s nice to come out here and shoot a good score.”

•Follow Cormac Sharvin and live scores in round two by clicking here.

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Min Woo Lee, who claimed his first European Tour victory in just his 19th start in the ISPS Handa Vic Open, joined sister Minjee Lee, who has won the women’s title at 13th Beach Golf Links twice in the last six years. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MIN Woo Lee made history as he stormed to his first European Tour victory at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, on the same golf course where his sister won her first professional title six years ago.

Lee joined his older sister Minjee on the roll of honour at 13th Beach Golf Links with a final round of 68 to become the first brother and sister to claim the same title.

The 2016 US Junior Amateur Champion finished two strokes ahead of New Zealander Ryan Fox on 19-under par thanks to his final round of four-under.

Min Woo Lee said: “My sister and I winning the same tournament, it’s pretty special. I’ve got bragging rights now so it’s even better.”

Sister Minjee who finished two shots off a play-off in the women’s event, added: “I was super, super proud of him.

“It was really cool to just even be here with him, and even watch him the last two holes.

“Just to see him play, I haven’t really seen him play that much, so to be able to have a win here is really cool.”

And Min Woo Lee was equally happy. “I’m pretty proud of the way I played,” he said clutching the trophy.

“I thought coming in I had a really good chance because I was hitting it really good.

“But I think I impressed myself with the game this whole week. Hopefully I’ll have more of these over my whole career.

“I felt really comfortable just because if I did exactly the same as I did yesterday, I felt pretty hard to stop.

“I started off really hot out the gate and was pretty comfortable those last few holes. I got a bit nervy, but I’m pretty proud of the way I finished.

“I hit one shot at a time. It’s a cliché, but it’s just that,” added Lee “You can’t really worry about anything else.

“I hit it so well, I’d give myself nine-out-of-10 for ball-striking this week,” said the new champion, who admitted his sister’s two Vic Open victories had driven him on all week in a show of sibling rivalry.

“Coming into today I knew I could just stay calm and just hit every shot the same as the last three days.

“I was pretty calm until, you know, the last hole. I wasn’t nervous, just on my toes a little bit.

“I thought it’s a par five, straight downwind, the ball’s not going to curve much off the tee – stripe one down and I thought I had it in the bag from there.”

Minjee won the women’s ISPS Handa Vic Open – which has been played concurrently at Barwons Head for the last eight years – as an amateur in 2014.

She claimed the USGA Girls title in 2012, and they were the first brother and sister to claim the USGA junior championships.

It was two years ago this week that Lee gave the world notice of his talent by reaching the quarter-finals of the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth as an amateur.

He only just missed out on keeping his tour card at the end of 2019 having made back-to-back top fives early in the season after his debut in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Lee picked up a cheque for €162,915 as the winner and moved to 41st on the Race to Duba.

•For full results in the Vic Open click here.

Order of Merit winner Ryan Fox believes his final round 64 was the best so far of his career

Fox run for 2nd title – ‘best golf yet’

RYAN Fox made his charge for a second European Tour victory on the back nine in the ISPS Handa Vic Open.

The Kiwi birdied the 16^th hole and carded his second eagle of the day on the 18^th for an eight-under par 64, setting the clubhouse target at 17-under.

Min Woo Lee – making just his 19th European Tour appearance since turning pro at the start of 2019 – started the day three strokes clear of playing partners Marcus Fraser and Travis Smyth.

Twenty-one-year-old Lee, who won seven amateur titles in Australia between 2013 and 2018, showed no sign of nerves as he birded three of his first four holes, including a chip-in on the first.

The Australian maintained his composure as winds gusted up to 30mph on the Bellarine Peninsula, with 10 consecutive pars before his fourth birdie of the day on the 15th hole.

Lee dropped to 18-under with a bogey on the 17th, but finished with aplomb as he birdied the 18th^h for a tournament-record score of 19-under par – and a special victory on home soil.

Fox, who won the ISPS Handa World Super 6 in Perth last year – and claimed the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 2019 – said: “That was probably the best round I’ve played in a tournament.

“I would not have thought 64 was out there at the start of the day. I think the only saving grace with this wind direction is you either play a hole straight down or straight into.

“I made a couple of eagles, which was nice. I hit a lot of shots inside of 15‑feet and made a couple of those, which is not really what you expect to do.

“I never really felt like I was under any pressure out there which, in conditions like this, that’s always nice.

Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist matched Lee’s final round of 68 to finish in a share of third place with Australians Fraser and Smyth on 14 under, while Jake McLeod took sixth place on 12-under.

Challenge Tour graduate Sciot-Siegrist said: “I think I learned from yesterday. I thought I got angry quite quick.

“The conditions were tough and I think today I tried to keep it cooler and things went my way. It was a great day, I’m happy to finish on that.

“Two top 10 in four tournaments, I’m really happy. I’m happy to put points really quickly on the board, because I need them.”

Manchester’s Florida-based pro Sam Horsfield, who was in the first group of the day with Geoff Ogilvy, and women’s competitor Peiyun Chen, moved to seventh on 11-under, alongside fellow European Tour member Sami Valimaki, from Finland.

•Minjee Lee, who won her second women’s ISPS Handa Vic Open title in 2018, finished two strokes behind Hee Young Park, who overcame Hye-Jin Choi and So Yeun Ryu in a four-hole play-off to win her first LPGA title in more than six years.

The post Min Woo Lee matches Minjee with ISPS Handa Vic Open title at 13th Beach Golf Links appeared first on Golf North.

Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares admitted he had few expectations in Australia before shooting a 63 to lead by the ISPS Handa Vic Open by two shots. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ALEJANDRO Cañizares carded a stunning opening 63 to lead the ISPS Handa Vic Open by two strokes after the first round.

The Spaniard made 10 birdies on the Creek Course at 13^th Beach Golf Links – carding four in his first five holes.

He also finished with three in a row to reach nine-under par.

Alejandro Cañizares said: “I played really nicely. The Creek is a little more accessible than the Beach – most of the par fives are reachable, and I took advantage of that.

“I putted really well. I didn’t make many mistakes, and I hit the ball nicely with my irons.

“I didn’t have many expectations for this week because it’s a long way from home – you don’t know how you’re going to feel. But I was hitting the ball well and I’m working on the right things.

“With my category on the European Tour, you have to take advantage of the events you can play. I really like the golf courses here in Australia – the only problem is the jetlag, so I’m trying to beat that.”

The 37-year-old, who will play his second round tomorrow on the Beach Course, sits two shots ahead of the Australian quartet of Matthew Griffin, Jake McLeod, Travis Smyth and Justin Warren, who each carded seven-under par 65s.

Jake McLeod admitted a good result would help with points on the Race to Dubai.

“It’s the first tournament of the year for me,” said McLeod. “I’m just looking to dust off the cobwebs and see if I can make it until Sunday.

“I like the course. I know I can get out there and don’t have to think too much about it– just give it a rip and see how we go.”

European Tour members Aaron Cockerill, Min Woo Lee and Robin Sciot-Siegrist are among those in a share of sixth place on six-under.

Min Woo Lee, who played with McLeod, said: “Jake and I fed off each other and we holed some putts at the end.

“Jake played pretty solid all day and I just finished off really nice on the back nine.

“Early on I holed the first two putts for birdie. I kind of fell from there, but I regained a little bit of focus and the back nine was really special.”

Last year’s runner-up Brad Kennedy joins them on that number.

Kennedy said: “It’s nice to come here and start the year really. I’ve just had six weeks off and picked the clubs up last Monday and tried to see what I could do.

“I guess the expectations of last year have gone and it’s all about trying to see what we can do for this year.”

Meanwhile last year’s champion David Law opened his title defence with a four-under par 68 on the Creek Course.

•For live scoring in the second round of the ISPS Handa Vic Open click here.

Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares admitted he had few expectations in Australia before shooting a 63 to lead by the ISPS Handa Vic Open by two shots. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Sagström overshadows Dame Davies

IN the women’s tournament South Korea’s Haeji Kang and Sweden’s Madelene Sagström share the lead on eight-under.

But it was Dame Laura Davies England most successful Ladies European Tour player ever, who rolled back the years on the Creek Course.

Ever the competitor, couldn’t help but laugh that her opening-round 67, her best round since 2018, was outdone by her playing partner Madelene Sagström’s 65.

“Still couldn’t win the group,” Davies laughed when interviewed after her first competitive round in six months.

It was her first competitive round since August, when she tied for 24th at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

Davies, who has more than 80 professional victories to her name, including 20 on the LPGA Tour, revealed: “My mum wasn’t very well and I just stayed at home with her.

“Just kept entering tournaments and had to withdraw, withdraw because she wasn’t getting any better.

“It just worked out that I had six months off and now I turn up here not knowing what I’m doing.

“I’ve been on Tour 35 years and I didn’t have a clue what to do. It was a bit weird, but a good result.”

A good result, indeed. Playing in what she called one of her favourite tournaments, the 56-year-old from Byfleet, said her putting was some of the best of her illustrious career.

Davies gave much the credit to good friend and former LPGA Tour player Rebecca Artis, an Australia native, who is caddying for Davies on the swing Down Under.

“She’s a really good green reader. She does that AimPoint, which bamboozles me. I haven’t got a clue what she’s up to, but she got the lines right,” added Davies.

“If I keep striking it like that and she keeps reading it like that, we might have a chance making the cut and make the weekend and see what happens, which when I got here I wasn’t too sure about.”

Former American college golf star Haley Moore, who is making her LPGA debut as a professional this week, shares third place on seven-under.

The ISPS Handa Vic Open sees men’s and women’s tournaments take place concurrently on the same golf courses at 13^th Beach Golf Links for equal prize money.

Competitors who played their first rounds on the Beach Course will play their second rounds on the Creek Course, and vice versa, with all the action taking place on the Beach Course over the weekend.

The 36-hole cut will reduce both tournaments to the top 60 and ties, with a further cut taking place after Saturday’s third round to the top 35 and ties from each competition for the final round.

•For live scoring in the second round of the ladies’ ISPS Handa Vic Open click here.

The post Alejandro Cañizares shakes off the jet lag to lead ISPS Handa Vic Open by two shots appeared first on Golf North.

Lucas Herbert made six birdies and an eagle on his way to a five-under 67 in the first round of the Australian PGA Championship, at RACV Royal Pines, in Queensland. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert carded six birdies and an eagle at RACV Royal Pines Resort to share the first round lead at the Australian PGA Championship with compatriot Brett Rankin.

The pair are two of nine Australians inside the top 14, joined by five New Zealanders on three-under par or better on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

After two birdies and an eagle on his first three holes, 24-year-old Herbert rallied again after three dropped shots.

Herbert, who recently recovered from a wrist injury, made four gains on his back nine, including three on his final four holes from the sixth to the ninth, to sign for a five-under 67.

“It was an interesting day,” said Lucas Herbert. “I usually set myself targets, numbers-wise, but I didn’t today.

“I let everything go and enjoyed being out there. The course is in great shape, I just enjoyed being out on a nice golf course with one of my best mates on the bag.

“That was on my mind, I didn’t feel like I got off to a great start, but then I didn’t feel like I fell too far backwards because I wasn’t concentrating on that either.

“My iron play was pretty good. That’s improved quite a lot in the last few weeks. Good flight in the wind out here, it was a bit breezy on the back nine,” Herbert added.

“It was solid. I didn’t throw shots away with silly doubles, if I stop throwing shots away I’ll go alright.”

Herbert finished 107th on the Race to Dubai in 2019, having been 47th in his rookie season in 2018, which included five top fives – the best a runner’s-up finish in the Portugal Masters.

The big-hitting Aussie and fellow countryman Rankin sit one stroke ahead of five others, including Herbert’s fellow European Tour members Nick Cullen, Min Woo Lee and Wade Ormsby.

Min Woo Lee, who narrowly missed out on keeping his card in his rookie season on the European Tour, said: “I think early on I didn’t really take the opportunities because there’s a big crowd – and I’m not really used to it.

“But yeah, it’s pretty special, added Lee, the younger brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee.

“It’s massive. I hit a lot of good shots – some got rewarded, some didn’t get rewarded, but I felt like I played pretty good and I’m pretty proud of the way I finished.

“It was pretty calm this morning, so hopefully tomorrow morning I can go out there and shoot a low score,” added Lee, who became the first Australian to win the US Junior Championship, in 2016.

The Lees became the first brother and sister to claim USGA junior titles after MinJee’s victory in the 2012 US Girls Championship.

Fox in top 10 with eyes on Order of Merit

NEW Zealand’s Ryan Fox could secure the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown this week.

The Kiwi, who leads by almost AU$75,000 from Zach Murray. Fox, won his maiden European Tour title at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in February,

Fox – the longest driver on the European Tour in 2019 – shares eighth place on three-under. He said: “I’m pretty happy.

“It’s playing a bit tougher than previous years. The course has settled in a little bit and it’s a little bit firmer out there. You can end up in some pretty bad spots.

“I played really solid tee-to-green. Got up-and-down on a couple of bad shots I hit and made a couple of putts – I probably left a couple out there as well.

“But I’m very happy with three-under,” added Fox.

Adam Scott lurks with Cink three shots back

MAJOR champions Stewart Cink, winner of The Open at Turnberry 10 years ago, and Adam Scott, who won the Masters in 2013, share 15th place on two under.

Scott, the highest-ranked player in the field, but who is looking for his first win since the 2016 WGC Cadillac Championship, at Doral, said: “I played good today.

“Unfortunately, I really mishit that drive on 13 and it cost me two. Other than that it was stress-free, but it wasn’t easy out there.

“I had a lot of in-between numbers. When it’s windy here you have to be careful, you don’t want to be chipping short-side around here.

“The grain is too much to deal with. I wish I could have that swing on 13 over again.

“All in all, I feel good about that round,” added Scott, who has 10 wins on the European Tour and five more Down Under.

Joining Scott and Cink on that number are Challenge Tour graduates Calum Hill, from Scotland, and Lancashire’s Jack Senior.

Qualifying school graduates Aaron Cockerill and Johannes Veerman, from Canada, and the United States respectively, and France’s Damien Perrier, are also two-under after the first round – three behind Lucas Herbert and Rankin.

•For live scoring in the Australian PGA Championship click here.

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