ANTON Karlsson produced a stunning round of 63 on day one to put himself in pole position to claim the top seeding at the Belgian Knockout.
The top 32 from each side of the draw after 36 holes at Rinkven International Golf Club will make it through to the knockout stages and Karlsson’s eight-under total was the best of any player in the field by two shots.
The 64 players that advance from the first two days will be seeded based on their score regardless of which side of the draw they were in, and will then go head to head over six rounds of nine hole knockout stroke play to determine a winner.
Swede Karlsson has had two top 10 since regaining his playing privileges at the 2018 European Tour Qualifying School to sit 111th on the Race to Dubai Rankings, but found his form in spectacular style in Antwerp.
Karlsson said: “It was a great round of golf. I’ve been playing some good golf lately, not getting any scores together is what it’s been feeling like but today it came together as a whole.
“It’s been tough to say, one week it’s too many putts, another week too few fairways but all in all, pretty good. I struggled a little off the tee which you’re not supposed to do around this place but I went on and holed a few.
“My best day in a long while with the putter. It was tough for a while to actually miss a putt. During the back nine I kept rolling them in from wherever, really, which is always a nice feeling.”
Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño was the closest challenger in that side of the draw at six-under, with Dean Burmester and Chris Paisley also signing for 65 earlier on in the day.
Fernandez-Castano, whose last win came in at the BMW Italian Open in 2012, said: “I’m feeling great. I’ve hit the ball really well. I’ve manged to keep the ball in play most of the time. Having all these tree-lined courses it’s always about getting the ball in position and I think I did that very well .
Burmester, whose sole European Tour victory came at the 2017 Tshwane Open, but who has six other Sunshine Tour wins to his name, said: “I felt really comfortable. I didn’t play last year but I grew up on a course very similar to this – narrow and a lot of dog-legs.
“It was nice to get out there and get it done. I’ve been playing well for quite a while but mentally it’s just not been there, it’s been a bit of a struggle out there.
“I’ve got Jason (Reynolds) helping me out this week on the bag – who’s been caddying for Jaco Van Zyl – and he’s such a calming influence so it was so nice to just get out there and feel comfortable.
Northumberland-based Chris Paisley, who played against Bud Cauley in the 2009 Walker Cup singles at Merion, said: “To be tied leader after the first round anytime is great, so it is nice to be back playing well again. Drove the ball really nicely and holed a couple putts along the way.
“It’s the kind of course that I grew up on in the north-east of England. We have a lot of short, tight tree-lined courses and that’s exactly what this is.”
The winner of last year’s BMW South Africa Open added: “The strong part of my game is probably my wedge play and putting, and there is a premium on that this week, so as long as you keep the ball in play there will be a lot of birdie chances on the green.”
The trio sat a shot clear of Italian Lorenzo Gagli, England’s David Horsey, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, Norway’s Espen Kofstad, and South African duo Justin Walters and JC Ritchie.
Belgian favourite Thomas Detry delighted the bumper home crowds with an opening 67 to sit in an excellent position heading into the second round.
The 26-year-old was eliminated in the round of 64 last year and will be looking to go better than that in a 2019 season where he has made every cut barring the Volvo China Open, where he had to withdraw with a neck injury.P
Detry said: “I’m very happy. It wasn’t that easy out there, a bit breezy and cold this morning as well, but very happy with how I played out there. I got some good vibes, I played great here last year, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
“I hit a lot of irons off the tee. It’s an easy golf course but it can be tricky as well. I was just being very safe off the tee and leaving myself a lot of short irons in.
“But sometimes you have to take it on, and I have been hitting my driver great, so the few holes where you actually have to hit it, I have been hitting it well. Other than that, I have been giving myself a lot of birdie chances with the short irons.”G
