After a low scoring, sun-drenched first day,europeantour.combreaks down the key statistics from the opening round of the 2017 Portugal Masters.
2- Players tied at the top in Vilamoura after 18 holes as Joost Luiten and George Coetzee both shot seven under par rounds of 64
64- Was Luiten's lowest score in more than a year (2016 KLM Open)
11- This was only Joost's second bogey-free round of the season after doing it 11 times in 2016
67.7- Coetzee's career scoring average at the Portugal Masters after Thursday's round, having now shot 13 of his 15 rounds on the Victoria Course in the 60s
0.1- Lucas Bjerregaard, who shot 66 to start, is the only man with a better scoring average at the Portugal Masters than the South African (at 67.6) of any player in the field with ten or more rounds here
+0.33- Shots gained per hole on the par fives here in Coetzee's career, better than any other player. He is 35 under par in 49 par fives played on this course.
179- Wu Ashun's six under par 65 was his joint lowest score in 179 European Tour rounds, having now recorded that total five times
552- Birdies or better today,
4.18- In Portugal Masters history, including today, the field has averaged 4.18 birdies per round. Only the Turkish Airlines Open sees more birdies on the European Tour statistically (4.32)
7- Different nationalities in the top 7 (Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, France, China, Italy, England)
133- The yardage of Ryan McCarthy's hole out eagle at the 11th (pitching wedge)
0- Titles defended in the ten-year history of the Portugal Masters. 2016 winner Padraig Harrington started solidly with a 67 on Thursday.
1- Walker Cup player Jack Singh Brar made a good start to his career in the paid ranks after shooting 67 in his first round as a pro
