Open de Espana: Jon Rahm makes strong start in bid to join Seve Ballesteros as three-time winner | Golf News

Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Darius van Driel finish rounds with birdie blitzes to share early lead with Ashun Wu; two-time champion Jon Rahm a shot off the tempo on seven below; watch the second spherical in Madrid reside on Friday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf

Jon Rahm carded an opening-round 64 in Madrid

Jon Rahm made a strong start to his bid to develop into the primary three-time winner of the Acconia Open de Espana since fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros by getting inside a shot of the early lead in Madrid.

Rahm, who gained the occasion in 2018 and 2019, blended an eagle and 6 birdies with a lone bogey to put up a seven-under 64 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and keep in contact with early pacesetters Ashun Wu, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Darius van Driel.

Beginning on the again 9, Rahm birdied his opening gap and adopted a 30-foot eagle on the par-five 14th with successive birdies from the seventeenth to attain the flip in 30.

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Daniel Gavins offers the right response to a quadruple bogey with a hole-in-one on the Open de Espana.

Rahm bogeyed the par-four first after a wayward tee shot left him pitching out from the bushes, solely to put up successive birdies from the fourth and chip in from off the eighth inexperienced to get to seven below.

“I am glad I could follow back up my last competitive round with another really good round and keep the good play going,” Rahm stated in his first start for the reason that BMW PGA Championship.

“It is important to start strong, the course is only going to get harder, so to come out in the morning and take advantage of the easier conditions was great.”

Wu set the early tempo after birdieing his remaining three holes to put up a bogey-free 63, just for Aphibarnrat to transfer alongside him after 5 consecutive birdies from thirteenth helped him get to eight below.

Wu and Aphibarnrat have been then joined by Dutch participant Van Driel as the 33-year-old birdied 4 of his final six holes.

Joakim Lagergren briefly held a share of the lead till a final-hole bogey dropped him to tied-fourth with Rahm and France’s Mathieu Pavon, whereas Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and David Drysdale are two shot backs on six below after opening 65s.

Eddie Pepperell and Paul Waring are the top-placed Englishmen, in a share of 14th spot on 4 below.

Daniel Gavins fired a hole-in-one on the par-three ninth on his means to a level-par 71 and defending champion Rafa Cabrera Bello opened his title defence with a three-over 74, whereas final 12 months’s runner-up Adri Arnaus struggled to a five-over 76.

Watch the Acconia Open de Espana all through the week reside on Sky Sports. Live protection continues Friday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.