Sweden’s Johan Edfors celebrated his recent marriage with a course record eight-under-par 64 in the first round of the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions event on Thursday.
Edfors, 35, went out in the first group from the 10th tee and recorded nine birdies and just one bogey on the Royal Golf Club course in suburban Riffa.
The triple Tour winner stormed into a two-stroke lead over fellow Swede Peter Hanson, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal, Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Briton Graeme Storm. World No. 9 Paul Casey, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and young Italian Matteo Manassero were among a group of players a further shot back.
Edfors’ score was just a stroke shy of his career-low 63 recorded on his way to winning the 2006 Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, his third of three titles that year in which he still failed to qualify for the Ryder Cup in Ireland.
Organizers presented him with a bottle of champagne after setting the new mark on the Colin -Montgomerie-designed course.
“It seems that married life agrees with me, well so far as it’s nice to go out there and be the first person to shoot the course record in competition,” he said. “It’s always fun to set a new course record on any course, as it’s been some time since I had the last one.”
“But the key around here is the putting, while it also takes some really good iron shots, so you need to get them close to avoid the three-putts,” Edfors said. “I had 29 putts out there and that’s not too bad.”
Edfors began his round by holing a four-footer at his first hole and recorded three other outward half birdies.
He picked up four more birdies, but saved the best for last in purposely electing to hit into wasteland at the ninth, leaving himself an eight-iron from the sand, which he put to 12-feet and only just missed his eagle putt.
Edfors married long-time girlfriend Ceilia on Dec. 6 before heading to Thailand for a honeymoon.
“Life hasn’t changed that much for me since I got married,” he said. “We had been dating for eight-and-a-half years before we got married so my new wife knows all about golf and life on the Tour, so it won’t be different for her now that we a both married.”
“I haven’t been home since the wedding as we have been having a long honeymoon in Thailand as I have a place out there at Black Mountain, the course I am attached to,” he said.
Molinari continued his good form after finishing tied for eighth last week in Abu Dhabi, the Italian recording seven birdies in the company of Ryder Cup winning colleagues Ian Poulter (72) and Padraig Harrington (70).
Casey, the highest-ranked player in the field, finished with an eagle to put him good shape, while Spaniard Alvaro Quiros began with four successive birdies, but also included two double-bogeys in a 67.
Montgomerie finished with a level-par 72 including two birdies over his closing three holes after taking a triple-bogey at his 14th.
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