Sam Horsfield’s record reads win, Missed Cut, win after he claimed the Celtic Classic at Celtic Manor – beating Thomas Detry by two shots. Pictures by GETTY IMAGES

SAM Horsfield made European Tour history claiming his second win at the Celtic Classic.

The Tour’s Manchester-born star who grew up in Florida became the first player to win, miss a cut, and then win again in the space of three weeks at three different tournaments.

A delighted Horsfield said: “It was pretty crazy. My goal this weekend was to have no bogeys and I was able to do that.

“I made a huge putt on 17 to keep that alive. I just played solid all week, really. To have a nice cushion coming into the last was nice.

“I never really felt nervous or felt uncomfortable, maybe because I was in this situation a few weeks ago.

“On 15, we decided to lay-up and I could have gone for that green. It’s the perfect three-wood number but there is so much trouble around that green.

“The birdie on 14 was huge because it gave me that option. If you’re one ahead, I think you go for that.

“But making that putt on 14 and then giving myself a pretty easy decision on the tee.

“Then I just sort of brought it home,” added Horsefield, who was certainly more composed speaking after his win then he had been two weeks earlier when winning the Hero Open at the Forest of Arden.

Horsfield had fired a superb 64 in Friday’s second round to close the gap on the leaders before Syme’s spectacular 63 on Saturday gave him the overnight lead.

Sam Horsfield was a shot behind Scot Connor Syme going into Sunday’s final round

Lightning delay can derail Sam

THE 23-year-old started the day one stroke behind young Scot Connor Syme.

But they were level after the 2017 Walker Cup player dropped a shot at the first at Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten Course.

Horsfield – tipped for the top by Ian Poulter some seven years ago – made consecutive birdies on the third and fourth.

Sam then birdied the seventh. But the players then had a two-hour delay as lightning closed in at the home of the 2010 Ryder Cup.

After the restart Horsfield parred the next six holes before his fourth birdie of the day on 14^th.

And he parred his way home to sign for a bogey-free 67 and an 18-under par total.

Horsfield moves to the top of the UK Swing Order of Merit, securing a place at next month’s US Open.

He will be joined by the other top 10 players on the UK Swing Rankings at Winged Foot at the conclusion of next week’s ISPS Handa Wales Open.

Horsfield is also guaranteed a share of £250,000 as part of the European Tour’s Good for Golf initiative.

The top 10 on the rankings after the ISPS Handa UK Championship at The Belfry in two weeks’, will share the money to donate to charities of their choice.

Connor Syme was happy with third place despite having a chance to win his maiden title

Syme settles for spoils as good run continues

JUST as at the Hero Open, Belgium’s Thomas Detry finished runner-up to Horsfield – having also posted a four-under par, bogey-free round.

Sharing third place were 2016 Ryder Cup player Thomas Pieters, Middlesex’s Andrew “Beef” Johnston and Syme.

It was Pieters first start since the resumption of the 2020 Race to Dubai.

Syme, who played in the Walker Cup against the likes of Cameron Champ, Scottie Scheffler and USPGA Champion Collin Morikawa, said: “It was another good result.

“I’ll have a couple of days away and play next week. My goal is to get in that top 10 for the US Open.

“It’s given me a step towards that. It’ll hurt for a couple of days, but it’s a good week.

“If someone offers you third at the start of the week, no matter the circumstances, you’ll take it.

“I’ll build on that and hopefully have a good week next week on the same course,” said the 2016 Australian Amateur Champion.

Syme’s sole win in the pro ranks came in last year’s Turkish Airlines Challenge on the Challenge Tour.

The 25-year-old from Kircaldy finished 14th on the Road to Mallorca Order of Merit to earn his full card.

Pieters who recently became a father, said: “It’s always a bit testing with your caddie, getting the numbers right.

“We did an okay job this week. It’s nice to start after five months off with a top 10. We had a bit of a slip up yesterday but still, happy overall.

“My caddie said if I go two-under through the last four then he’ll buy me dinner tonight. So I get free dinner.

“At the beginning of the day when it was a bit warmer, my grips were still slippery. I had a lot of trouble this week, I don’t know why.

“I’ve never really had that much trouble with it. After the restart helped me because it was colder and I could grip it and I felt a lot more at ease.

“I hit a lot better golf shots,” said Pieters, who has four European Tour wins under his belt, having won the NCAA US college title in 2012.

•For full results in the Celtic Championship, click here.

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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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Hero Open winner Sam Horsfield has his sights set firmly on earning a spot in the US Open by finishing in the top 10 of the UK Swing Order of Merit. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SAM Horsfield has one eye on a place in the US Open as he tees it up in the inaugural English Championship at Hanbury Manor.

The 23-year-old moved to the top of the UK Swing Order of Merit after his maiden European Tour win at last week’s Hero Open at the Forest of Arden.

The top 10 after the sixth and final event are set to share £250,000 to donate to charity as part of the European Tour’s Golf For Good initiative.

And there is a further incentive that has piqued the young Englishman’s interest, with the leading 10 not otherwise exempt after the fifth event set to secure placed at the US Open at Winged Foot, in September.

Horsfield, who hails from Manchester, but lives in Florida, said: “One of my goals coming in to the UK Swing was to get into the US Open.

“I played well at the British Masters, finished 10th, and then to win last week has really helped that cause.

The protege of Ian Poulter, who has championed Horsfield since the age of 13, added: “Looking forward to the next few weeks and keeping the momentum going.

“I played here a couple of weeks ago. Really liked the course and I’m looking forward to a good week.

Talking about the the Hanbury Manor Marriot Hotel and Country Club course, Sam said: “The front nine – the start is pretty nice.

“A few tricky holes on the back nine. Pretty similar to last week actually, where you’ve got to get it going early and play the back nine well.

Thomas Detry is searching for his maiden Tour victory in the English Championship

Højgaard looking for win No. 2

DANE Rasmus Højgaard and Belgium’s Thomas Detry are also both aiming to take a step closer to their Major debuts, this week.

Currently occupying third position in the standings, 19-year-old Højgaard has already shown winning form this season.

He won a play-off at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December, beating Italy’s Renato Paratore, the winner of the British Masters at Close House.

Højgaard said about making his US Open debut: “I would be another checked off goal. If you can call it that.

“It’s not something I’ve been thinking about. It’s just a bonus if it happens. I’m just focused on playing well and that will take care of it.

“I still dream. Winning Majors is a dream, of course. But it’s still a goal at the same time,” added the third-youngest winner in European Tour history.

“Right now, it’s more a dream than it is a goal. I have to be a lot better and develop my game – a lot more to be more consistent and over time, perform well. It’s a bit of both. But it’s definitely a goal in future.”

Detry will just keep on trying for maiden win

MEANWHILE Detry, who is just one position further back, is aiming to go one better than his second place finish at the Coventry course, on Sunday.

The Belgian won a pro-am at Worplesdon Golf Club organised by his manager Brendan Taylor last month.

Victory sharpened up his appetite for a first Tour win and a place in the UK Swing mini-order of merit top 10.

Detry said: “I think I’m lying in fourth right now. I want to secure that top 10.

“I’m not going to try and play defensively, I’m going to keep giving myself chances to win.

“Last week was an amazing week, the golf course was fantastic. I played some really good golf, Sam Horsfield just played slightly better – he deserved the win.

“My game feels great and I’m very confident for the following weeks.

“It would mean a lot,” he added when asked about playing in the US Open.

“I don’t know if there’s going to be spectators or not. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve never played a Major.

“It was a goal for me last year. Getting to one this year would be phenomenal.”

Lee Westwood won the English Open at Hanbury Manor in 1998

Westwood knows how to win at Hanbury Manor

ONE man who knows how to win around Hanbury Manor is 25-time European Tour champion Lee Westwood.

The Close House pro, who hosted the British Masters two weeks ago, claimed the English Open title here in 1998.

The veteran of 10 Ryder Cups will be hoping to make his experience count as the European Tour marks its return to the Hertfordshire venue for the first time this century.P

Westwood said: “I’m feeling good. I obviously played a couple of weeks ago at Close House – took last week off. And it’s nice to be back at somewhere where you’ve won round.

“It was a long time ago, I can’t remember a lot of it. But I do remember hitting a few longer clubs into some of these holes. It’s playing a little bit shorter today.”

Hanbury Manor was designed in 1990 by Jack Nicklaus II, who added a brand new front nine.

He also revised the original nine holes laid out at the former convent school and country manor house by Harry Vardon, in the early 1900s.

•For live scoring in the first round of the English Championship click here.

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Florida-based Englishman Sam Horsfield’s maiden win came in the land of his birth – a feat his mentor Ian Poulter has never achieved. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SAM Horsfield claimed his maiden European Tour title at the Hero Open after showing nerves of steel down the stretch.

The Mancunian raised in Florida beat off the challenge of Belgium’s Thomas Detry to seal a one-stroke victory at the Forest of Arden in the West Midlands.

The 23-year-old became the first home winner of the Hero Open – formerly the English Open – since Lee Westwood in 1998.

Horsfield, a protege of Ian Poulter, became the fifth English winner in total and achieved something the Ryder Cup star has not achieved in 20 years on tour – a victory in England.

The win also moves Horsfield to the top of the UK Swing Rankings, from which the top 10 players at the conclusion of the ISPS Handa Wales Open will earn exemptions to next month’s US Open at Winged Foot.

Horsfield said: “It’s crazy, I can’t put it in to words.

“I made a bad bogey on 15, then on 17 we wanted to leave a good five-wood number and I did – 233, wind out to the left. Hit a great shot there.

“It’s special. With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I’m thankful that the European Tour has been able to put on tournaments for us to play.

“I’ve been in Orlando for the last three months and felt like my game was right there. I played decently last week, had a bad finish but kept the positives from that.

“I played solid all week and gave myself a lot of opportunities and made one enough,” said the player who has two 59s to his name already in his career – his first came aged 13.

Sam Horsfield had a six-shot lead at one point on Saturday – but showed nerves of steel during the final round with the chasing pack close on his tail. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Sam’s back nine fails to prove costly

HORSFIELD had endured a difficult back nine in his third round after giving an on-course interview to Sky Sports walking down the 10th fairway.

The former University of Florida player said he was able to go low by being aggressive.

After speaking to Tim Barter, who asked him about his 59 last month at Florida’s Streamsong, a par 73, Sam relinquished a six-shot lead he had built on the front nine, making a double bogey and giving up three more shots.

But the Englishman, who pulled of the Great Britain & Ireland team before the 2015 Walker Cup team, showed true determination on an exciting final day.

He maintained his one-shot overnight lead over the chasing pack for the vast part of the round.

Horsfield was knocked off the perch briefly when Detry birdied the 17th to move to the front on 18-under par.

But the Belgian missed a crucial par putt at the last from four feet to drop back to 17-under alongside the eventual winner.

Horsfield capitalised on his opportunity at the penultimate hole, playing the par-five to perfection.

The 2017 Qualifying School winner picked up a shot to earn a one-one stroke advantage stepping onto the tee of the par-three final hole.

A deft lag putt left him with an easy par putt to lift the trophy, after signing for a four-under par 68 – and an 18-under total.

Thomas Detry was briefly in the lead with two to play but dropped a shot on the last after making. a birdie on his penultimate hole. Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

Detry only sees positives from UK Swing

DETRY was only taking the positives after another near miss looking for his maiden win.

He said: “A lot of things have been going through my mind, but honestly I have nothing to be disappointed about right now.

“I played some really good golf. The greens are getting trickier down the stretch and I over-read that putt on 18.

“But I’m very pleased with the way I finished on those last few holes to be honest.

“I hit some very good shots out there. Another missed opportunity, but I’ll move on and forget about it – and just try to win next week.

“It was tough out there, the wind started to swirl a little bit and 16 and 17 are tough holes with a lot of water around.

“You have to be careful because you can quickly make a high number, but I handled it pretty well, like I said I’ll just move on.

“I’m feeling very positive about the rest of the UK Swing now.

“I’ve picked up a few points for the UK Swing Rankings so it will change a few things.

“I might not play every single tournament now but we’ll see how things go. But I’m definitely playing next week so I’m looking forward to that.”

Forest of Arden’s £50k from Golf for Good to give away

Horsfield, who left the UK to live in Florida at the age of five, moved from 43rd to 18th in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

His win concluded another successful week on the UK Swing for the European Tour’s Golf for Good initiative.

Forest of Arden received £50,000 from the tour to be distributed to charities of their choice – with Blood Cancer UK being awarded £20,000, and local charities Newlife and Birmingham Mind receiving £15,000 each.

•For the final scores in the Hero Open click here.

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Gleneagles pro Calum Hill jumped up to the top of the leaderboad in the second round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with a sparkling 64. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

EUROPEAN Challenge Tour graduate Calum Hill will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open after a stunning second round 64.

The Scot recorded a top 15 finish at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship to get the season off to a promising start.

And he brought that form to Heritage Golf Club, moving to 12-under as he matched the low round of the week.

Hill won twice in 2019 to secure his European Tour card, and he now leads his second event of the new season after recording nine birdies and just a single bogey on Friday.

The final gain – a 20-foot putt on the last – was enough to edge the 25-year-old ahead of South African Rolex Series winner Brandon Stone, Belgian Thomas Detry and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who all reached 11-under par at Bel Ombre.

Hill, who is attached to Gleneagles, said: “The last couple of days the game has been nice. Managed to get the putter going well today, which added up to a good score.

“Last week was a slow start and I played better at the weekend. I’ve just built on it from there.

“I’m happy with that, especially to make a putt on the last hole to finish off a good round. I made a lot of long range putts – 20-25 foot – probably made four of those.

It has been a case of so far, so good on the European Tour for the winner of the Euram Bank Open and the Made in Denmark Challenge.

Hill, who hails from Kirckaldy, added: “We seem to be following the sunshine so we’re always playing in warm weather and the courses are in great condition.

“I haven’t noticed a huge difference yet coming from Challenge Tour,” said the 25-year-old who graduated from Western New Mexico University

“Obviously the fields are stronger, but it’s the same as every tournament you play – you go out and do your best, see where that puts you at the end of the week, and dig in when you need to.”

Stone looks to go low over weekend while Detry’s trusting his confidence

BRANDON Stone, who is looking for a fourth European Tour win since promotion from the Challenge Tour four years ago was also pleased with his performance.

“Very happy with how things went,” said Stone. “I got off to a nice start this morning – a couple of birdies early which kind of settled the nerves a little bit. And then from there I just played great all day.

“Very low stress, always in play, gave myself a lot of opportunities and managed to convert a fair number of them and sitting 11-under par going into the weekend is exactly where you want to be.

“The target for the weekend to is go as low as we can go, actually,” said last year’s Scottish Open winner who fired a final round 60 at Gullane to land his first Rolex Series title.

“It’s going to be a challenge and at the same time, there’s a lot of really top quality players in the field, so you’re going to go out and try to shoot as low as you can and, hopefully, by Sunday evening it’s going to be enough.

Detry who is looking to join fellow Belgians Thomas Pieters and Nicholas Colsearts as winner on the European Tour is enjoying his debut in Mauritius.

Rookie Rasmum R1 leader in Mauritius Open

“It’s my first time in Mauritius,” said Detry. “The place is absolutely lovely, the course is in great condition. I love the place.

“Very happy – shot five-under yesterday, six-under today. We’ve done a few mistakes here and there, but have managed to recover them pretty well.

“Shot eight-under on my last 14 holes so that was a pretty good performance and gets it going for the next two days.

“I’ve been taking it very relaxed, haven’t really practised too much. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks.

“I made it to Dubai after playing well in Sun City and Turkey. I’ve been relying on my confidence and it’s been working.”

French pair Benjamin Hebert and Antoine Rozner, American Sihwan Kim and Scotland’s Connor Syme are one shot further back in the pack chasing Calum Hill.

Denmark rookie Rasmus Højgaard, who was one of five players to share the first-round lead, and fellow countryman Søren Kjeldsen are on nine-under with South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who is looking for his second victory in the calendar year.

The event is tri-sanctioned with the Asian and Sunshine Tours.

•For live scoring from the third round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open click here.

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Louis Oosthuizen left. his sick bed to shoot a nine-under par at Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club, to lead the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LOUIS Oosthuizen carded a stunning bogey-free round of 63 to lead the Nedbank the Golf Challenge – just hours after seeking hospital treatment for kidney stones that forced him to miss the pro-am on Wednesday.

Oosthuizen was not even sure he would be able to play at all just hours before his tee time at Sun City.

The 2010 Open Championship winner opened up a three-shot lead after shooting nine-under par in his first round, in the seventh Rolex Series event on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

Oosthuizen said: “Considering that at 3am this morning, I didn’t think I was doing going to tee it up, I’m very chuffed with that round.

“I woke yesterday with kidney stones and this morning was very uncomfortable.

“But it sort of eased at 6, 7am. You could see me walking slower and just going at everything a little slower out there.

“But I know I played good at the WGC-HSBC Champions two weeks ago and I know the swing is there – the putting’s there. I just need to be healthy to play.

“I just love this golf course. One of my first wins on the Sunshine Tour was here, the Dimension Data, and every time I play here, it brings back a lot of good memories.”

The South African has claimed five of his nine European Tour wins on home soil – but has yet to lift the trophy at the event they call “Africa’s Major”

Oosthuizen does have three top tens in his last four appearances at the Gary Player Country Club – South Africa’s most famous play is hosting the Nedbank again.

Oousthuizen’s victory earlier this season at Johannesburg’s South African Open fulfilled a long-held ambition to win his national championship.

And he now has the perfect platform to launch a challenge for a first Rolex Series win.

Belgian Thomas Detry is Oosthuizen’s nearest challenger at six-under, one shot ahead of Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, who is in contention for the Rookie of the Year crown after recording two wins in his debut season.

Detry, who is still looking for a maiden solo win on the European Tour, said: “I had it going pretty quickly. I have got good vibes out here.

“I played pretty well here last year. Not quite as good as Louis today, but pretty happy,” said Detry, who won the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf with former University of Illinois team-mate Thomas Pieters, last year.

“I’ve been playing really, really well recently. You know, again last week, I was 11-under after two rounds and didn’t play quite as good on the weekend,” added Detry.

“But I’m very comfortable with my game, and if I can keep the putter hot for four days, then something might happen.”

Migliozzi, who won the Magical Kenya Open back in March, said: “I played solid tee-to-green and really happy about my game.

“It’s been a good round. I started very good, six-under par for the front nine,” said the Italian, who also won the Belgian Knockout in June.

“Rookie of the Year is something I would like to get. The competitors are really good, but let’s see what this week and the next one will bring, too.”

Defending champion Lee Westwood has never won a European Tour title back to back, although he has successfully defended three of his 43 titles won around the world – including the Nebank eight years ago when it was a limited field event.

Westwood, who is now 46, said: “You can’t win this tournament on the first day. Anything under 70 always feels like a great start to this tournament.

“I played well. Controlled the ball flight. Could have hit a few more fairways. Would have made it a little easier. I was in the rough too ofte –, but no bogeys and 68 was a great start.”

Three-time winner Ernie Els and another home favourite in Zander Lombard joined Westwood on four-under.

Meanwhile 2017 Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood and South African pair George Coetzee and Richard Sterne are among a group of 10 players at three-under.

•For live scoring from the Nedbank Golf Challenge City click here.

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Open Champion Shane Lowry wants a win in the Turkish Airlines Open to boost his chances of wining the 2019 Race to Dubia. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

OPEN Champion Shane Lowry has his sights set on a strong finish to the 2019 Race to Dubai with the aim of becoming European No. 1 for the first time in his career as he prepares for the Turkish Airlines Open.

The Irishman, who triumphed at Royal Portrush in July, is less than 700 points behind current Race to Dubai rankings leader Bernd Wiesberger.

But, with increased points on offer in the final three events of the season, there is still all to play for, starting at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek, this week – – the sixth Rolex Series event of the season.

Already a Rolex Series winner this year after securing the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, Lowry is going in search of a sixth European Tour title in Turkey.

Lowry was unable to mount a charge for a second WGC title in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last week, finishing 43rd some 18 shots behind Rory McIlroy.

“It’s my main goal over the next few weeks to perform as best as I can,” said Lowry.

“It would be lovely if I got to the final 18 holes in Dubai with a chance to win the Race to Dubai. To be European No. 1 would be really special and would add to the year I’ve had.

“I think it would be the icing on the cake. I’m going to give it my best shot but if I don’t win it, I won’t be too disappointed.

“I’ve had a decent year and I’d be pretty happy with what I’ve got at Christmas,” said Lowry, who won the Irish Open when still an amateur in 2008.

“To start the year with a win in Abu Dhabi at a Rolex Series event was huge – that gave me the confidence going forward.

“Outside of a Major, as a European Tour player it probably doesn’t get much bigger. There are WGCs as well, but Rolex Series events are definitely up there.”

Returning to Turkey with happy memories from last year are Thomas Detry and Martin Kaymer.

Belgian Detry recorded his best finish in a Rolex Series event at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort.

A back-nine blitz of five consecutive birdies saw him move to 15-under, two strokes behind defending champion Justin Rose, who defeated Li Haotong in a play-off.

Detry said: “I have just taken two weeks off, so I feel fresh and ready to play well.

“Got good memories from here last year. Finished third. It’s the start of a good stretch of golf and hopefully we’ll make the best out of this week.

“I rested the first week, really not doing much. Just seeing friends and been working out but not that much.

“Last week I picked up the clubs again. The weather unfortunately is not that good at home, but very happy to see some sun again.

“Last year, I played well the whole week. I think it was on Sunday afternoon, I made five birdies in a row and pushed me from 15^th spot to tied for third.

“It was amazing. The golf course was amazing. The weather is fantastic. It’s a beautiful place. You have everything you need, practice facilities, hotels and good golf courses.

“I played nine holes yesterday. The course is beautiful, really good,” added Detry, who is still looking for his maiden win on the European Tour.

“Played here a long time ago when I was practicing. I came down here with the Belgian federations, and I’ve had a faint memory of a few holes. But it will be good to play to refresh my mind.”

Kaymer finished in a share of fifth last year and is a regular visitor to the region.

Kaymer said: “I came here I think every year since the tournament is on. It’s nice, especially that time of year.

“Being in Germany last week, seeing the weather there, the practice facilities. It’s nice to come out here and enjoy the great golf courses that they have around here.

“The game is feeling fine. I feel fairly calm on the golf course. I really enjoy that whole process that I’m going through right now, focusing on the right things. Not being distracted too much by stuff that doesn’t really matter.

“Yeah, it’s one of those weeks that I look forward to every year to get here,” added Kaymer, whose last of 11 European Tour wins came in the 2014 US Open.

“Sometimes it’s a bit underrated. It does still mean that you had a decent season. That’s all you can do this week. Try to do your best and stick to that form.”

At 66^th and 71^st on the Race to Dubai rankings respectively, both players will be looking to secure their spots in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Just the top 60 and then 50 players available from the Race to Dubai rankings will take part in the final two events of the season.

•To see the first round tee times in the Turkish Airlines Open click here.

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