Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen leads the Italian Open at Rome’s Olgiata Golf Club after a blistering 64 in the first round. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FINLAND’S Tapio Pulkkanen fired a bogey-free 64 to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Italian Open with World No. 5 Justin Rose among those in contention in Rome.

Pulkkanen is currently in 102^nd position on the Race to Dubai with only one top 10 finish so far this season – eighth place in the Trophée Hassan II.

But he posted the lowest opening round of his European Tour career to head a strong leaderboard on seven under par round at Olgiata Golf Club, which is hosting the fifth event in the European Tour’s Rolex Series.

Pulkkanen said: “I’m really happy with the score. My putter was really hot, and I didn’t make any bogeys, so it was good.

“I made a lot of long putts. I was just actually trying to lag it close, and made a lot of putts by doing that.

“I felt like the greens were really quick. Especially in the morning, first group. Monday, Tuesday, was not that quick, so I had to be really careful with the putting.

“I think my first year on the European Tour was a learning year. Second year has been more comfortable being here.

“I haven’t played that well in the Rolex tournaments, so this is kind of new situation, but it’s a long way to go and I feel good about my game.”

The 29-year-old carded five birdies on his front nine after starting on the 10th tee, and added two more on the way to sit one shot clear of American-based Slovakian Rory Sabbatini, who birdied his final hole for a round of 65.

Sabbatini, who was born in South African before moving to the States where he studied at the University of Arizona, said: “Obviously it’s nice to be here playing in Italy.

“I’ve got some roots here in Italy. It’s good to be here, and it’s always a nice change of venue, and see some new courses,” said the six-time PGA Tour winner.

“I think just got to continue to try and do what I did today. Keep the ball in play. This is a golf course that I think accuracy is of prime importance out here.

“You know, putting it in play, and then continue to hit greens and I think if you get it on the greens in regulation, minimize the stress, and we’ll see what happens,” added Sabbatini, whose last win came in the 2011 Honda Open, at Florida’s PGA National.

Olympic Champion Rose, who is chasing his third Rolex Series title, is in a group of five players one shot further back on five-under par after posting five birdies in his final eight holes.

The Hampshire-raised ace had mixed two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine in his bid to add the Italian Open to his other Rolex victories in the Turkish Airlines Open in 2017 and 2018.

Rose said: “Probably my putting is what I was happiest with today. I really rolled it beautifully from 10, 12, 15-feet, capitalised a lot on my opportunities.

“It felt like it was one of those days where I walked off the golf course going, ‘I made the most of that round for sure’.”

Rose shares third place with Dutchman Joost Luiten, American Kurt Kitayama, Austrian Rolex Series winner Bernd Wiesberger, who claimed the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in July, and India’s Shubhankar Sharma, who birdied the 16^th and eagled the 17^th in his 66.

Sharma said: “I hit a lot of good putts before that and they weren’t falling, so it was kind of getting easier to make a few birdies coming in.

“That tee shot on the 16th was really good, a great four-iron to about seven, eight feet, and I made that putt.

“And 17, again, a good drive and a good four-iron to the middle of the green and that putt obviously was a bonus.

“It was like a 40-footer that I made, so pretty happy,” added Sharma, who won twice on the European Tour in four months at the start of the 2018 season, with victories in the Joburg Open and Malaysia’s Maybank Championship.

Italian Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open Champion and two-time Italian Open champion, opened with a level-par round of 71, some seven shots behind Pulkkanen.

•For live scoring in round two click here.

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Shubhankar Sharma is aiming to follow Justin Harding into the World’s top 50 when he defends his title this week. Picture courtesy of Maybank Championship

SHUBHANKAR Sharma is feeling relaxed about his Maybank Championship title defence, as the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year aims to build on a stellar debut season on the European Tour.

The 22 year old burst on to the scene with two early victories on the 2018 Race to Dubai, following up his maiden win at the Joburg Open with his biggest victory yet, coming from four shots back to take the title at Saujana Golf and Country Club.

With two trophies in his cabinet by early February, he cemented his status as Indian golf’s new rising star by playing in all four Major Championships and impressing on his World Golf Championships debut.

He famously lead the world-class WGC-Mexico Championship field by two shots going into the final round before posting an impressive top 10 finish.

Sharma said: “I have some very special memories from last year. It just feels like yesterday that I won here.

“I made that putt on 18 and was waiting in scorers for the rest of the field to finish.  It’s great to come back – it was my biggest win.

“I love the course here. I had a good finish the year before last when I finished top 10.

“I actually just love Malaysia as a country. I love the people and the heat doesn’t get to me, which is good.

“Hopefully I can draw on the good memories and play well this week.

“I definitely feel like I’ve become a better player from last year.

“Obviously I have more experience. I’ve played some of the biggest events in the world, I played in all of the Majors last year.

“In two of those Majors I was actually playing in front of Tiger, so the biggest crowds I have ever seen. It’s good that I’ve seen all of those situations.

“I’m much more relaxed now, but you don’t want to get too relaxed when you are playing. These are some of the best players in the world and you have to be 100 per cent.

“But I’ll definitely be more comfortable than I was last year playing in the marquee group.”

Sharma is joined in the field in this week’s co-sanctioned Maybank Championship by Jazz Janewattananond, another young player – who has impressed on both the European Tour and Asian Tour and has aspirations of challenging the best in the world in the near future.

The 23-year-old Thai claimed his third Asian Tour title at the Singapore Open in January to break into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Jazz said: “I was fortunate to crack the top 100 this soon. It was always in the back of my mind to take the next step and get into the top 50.

“This is going to be a big week, if I can play good this week I have a chance of cracking the top 50 sooner.

“Seeing the likes of Justin Harding is very inspiring. We played a lot together last year. Now that he is in the top 50 he’ll have a better chance of getting into the Masters.

“To see someone close to you do that is very inspiring and it gives you a boost and confidence that you can do it too.

“I’m feeling really good. I had a couple of good finishes coming in to this week. It’s always nice to come back to Malaysia.

“I love this city, I love the skyline, I love the street food here. I’m enjoying myself out here and we’ll try to move that into the golf course as well.”

Janewattananond is aiming for a good finish this week to help propel him towards his next aim of following his friend and recent South Africa’s European Tour winner Justin Harding into the top 50.

Also teeing it up the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur this week are three-time Major winner and current European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington and his victorious predecessor Thomas Bjørn – as well as American Kurt Kitayama, who has emulated Sharma this year by racing to two European Tour victories in his rookie season.

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