Turkish Airlines Open: Three-Way Tie After Day One

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Turkish Airlines Open

After the opening round of the Turkish Airlines Open, there is a three-way tie atop the leaderboard at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort, with Nicolas Colsaerts, Haydn Porteous and Joost Luiten all posting 7-under 64s.

The Dutchman Luiten and South Africa’s Porteous each signed clean scorecards on Thursday, while Belgium’s Colsaerts reached 64, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 12th.

The long-bombing Colsaerts said he “stayed patient” during his round, and picked his spots off the tee at the tree-lined Turkey course.

“You kind of have to hit the fairways, you have those trees that come in at certain time on certain holes. It’s not one of those golf courses you just tee it up and rip it. It’s almost like an easier version of Valderrama type thing off the tee,” said Colsaerts.

Argentina’s Andres Romero and Irishman Padraig Harrington are one back at 6-under 65. Romero also eagled No. 12 to offset a pair of bogeys. Harrington carded a bogey-free round with six birdies, three neat aside.

“I played nicely. Didn’t really get in trouble at any stage during the day,” said Harrington, a three time major champion. “Wasn’t really out of position. A nice number of chances, converted a few of them, and it was a pretty easy 6-under par, yeah. I wish they were all like that.”

A logjam of four players are tied for sixth at 5 under, headlined by England’s Ian Poulter, who birdied 18 to jump into the third tier.

“Nice birdie on the last. A couple of key par putts today: A putt from off the fringe from about 15 feet, and then on the par 3 where I run it about ten feet past and hole it coming back; to hole those putts to keep the round clean is obviously what you need,” said Poulter.

Four more players finished with 4-under 67s, including England’s Tyrell Hatton and Lee Westwood. Ireland’s Paul Dunne and Dane Søren Kjeldsen are joined with the Englishmen at T10.

The tournament’s marquee group of Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose, alongside Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, underwhelmed on Thursday, given their resumes and recent play.

Last week’s WGC-HSBC winner, Rose, overcame a double bogey on No. 2 to finish with four birdies and a 2-under 69. Race to Dubai leader Fleetwood matched three birdies with a trio of bogeys to sign for a level-par 71. While Stenson, the defending Race to Dubai champion, was unable to overcome an early double, and finished with a 2-over 73.

Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen started his title defense in Turkey with a solid round of 2-under 69, offsetting a double on the 10th with four birdies.


TOP 10: ROUND ONE

1 Nicolas Colsaerts -7
1 Haydn Porteous -7
1 Joost Luiten -7
4 Andres Romero -6
4 Padraig Harrington -6
6 Eddie Pepperell -5
6 Kiradech Aphibarnrat -5
6 Matthieu Pavon -5
6 Ian Poulter -5
10 Soren Kjeldsen -4
10 Paul Dunne -4
10 Tyrell Hatton -4
10 Lee Westwood -4


SCORECARDS OF LEADERS


PUTT OF THE DAY

Luiten bangs it in “at pace” for birdie on the par-4 16th.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I basically hit the wrong club into the green, to walk away with a birdie, you know that’s maybe two shots difference. That’s what you need sometimes to hole shots like that and get away with it, it keeps the round going.”
Joost Luiten, on his hole out birdie putt on 16.


LEADERBOARD: TURKISH AIRLINES OPEN

POSPLAYERPARTOT
T1Nicolas Colsaerts-764
T1Haydn Porteous-764
T1Joost Luiten-764
T4Andres Romero-665
T4Padraig Harrington-665
T6Eddie Pepperell-566
T6Kiradech Aphibarnrat-566
T6Matthieu Pavon-566
T6Ian Poulter-566
T10Soren Kjeldsen-467
T10Paul Dunne-467
T10Lee Westwood-467
T10Tyrrell Hatton-467
T14David Drysdale-368
T14Chris Wood-368
T14Shane Lowry-368
T14Jorge Campillo-368
T14Julian Suri-368
T19Marcus Fraser-269
T19Stephen Gallacher-269
T19Matthew Southgate-269
T19Jordan Smith-269
T19Andy Sullivan-269
T19Peter Uihlein-269
T19Thomas Pieters-269
T19Matthew Fitzpatrick-269
T19Bernd Wiesberger-269
T19Thorbjorn Olesen-269
T19Justin Rose-269
T19Nacho Elvira-269
T19Adrian Otaegui-269
T19Gregory Bourdy-269
T33Lucas Bjerregaard-170
T33Lee Slattery-170
T33Thomas Bjorn-170
T33Andrew Johnston-170
T33Dylan Frittelli-170
T33Paul Waring-170
T33David Horsey-170
T33Marcel Siem-170
T33Brandon Stone-170
T42George CoetzeeE71
T42Matt WallaceE71
T42Richie RamsayE71
T42Callum ShinkwinE71
T42Martin KaymerE71
T42Alexander BjorkE71
T42Ali AltuntasE71
T42Tommy FleetwoodE71
T50Benjamin Hebert172
T50Robert Rock172
T50Austin Connelly172
T50Scott Hend172
T50Alexander Levy172
T50Fabrizio Zanotti172
T50Sam Brazel172
T50Jeunghun Wang172
T50Marc Warren172
T59(a) Leon Acikalin273
T59Haotong Li273
T59Ryan Fox273
T59Scott Jamieson273
T59Victor Dubuisson273
T59Henrik Stenson273
T65Anthony Wall374
T65Hideto Tanihara374
T65Michael Lorenzo-Vera374
T65Andrew Dodt374
T65Edoardo Molinari374
T65David Lipsky374
T71Renato Paratore475
T71Nino Bertasio475
T71Romain Wattel475
T71Graeme Storm475
T75Richard Sterne576
T75Dean Burmester576
77(a) Taner Yamac879
78Pablo Larrazabal1081

Credit: European Tour Media, Getty Images


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