Julien Guerrier stormed into a four shot lead at European Tour Qualifying School – Final Stage, carding a record ten under par 60 on the Tour Course at PGA Catalunya Resort in Spain.
The Frenchman has already earned his playing rights for the 2010 Race to Dubai after finishing 16th in the Challenge Tour Rankings this season, but is playing this week for the chance of gaining a better category and has every chance after shooting the lowest round in European Tour Qualifying School history.
The absence of the intense pressure some of the other 155 players are under this week allowed Guerrier to shoot 11 birdies, and he has a significant lead over a group of five players at six under – Australian Tony Carolan, South African Keith Horne, Englishman James Ruth, Dane Lasse Jensen and Swede Jarmo Sandelin.
Thirty cards plus ties are up for grabs, with 156 hopefuls playing four rounds – two each over the Tour Course and the Stadium Course - before the field is whittled down to 70 players plus ties to play two more rounds over the Stadium Course on Wednesday and Thursday.
Guerrier was delighted to have made such a strong start, but was mindful that there is still a lot of golf to be played before he can start celebrating.
“It was a fantastic round,” he said. “I just made one mistake on the 11th, which was my second hole, where I had three putts for a bogey. At the beginning I didn’t play very well but I putted well, and then it all started to come together. My long game was very good and my putting was good.
“But it’s very, very long, like a marathon so it’s a good start but the tournament doesn’t really begin until the third round so we’ll see.”
He added: “The condition of the course was very good. The greens were excellent and the front nine was in very good condition even after a lot of players had played it in the morning. I really enjoyed it.”
Asked if he is feeling any pressure, knowing whatever his performance at Qualifying School – Final Stage, he is still guaranteed to play on The European Tour next season, Guerrier replied: “It’s just a bonus this week. I have some pressure – pressure to win or make the top ten, which would be good for me because it would mean I could play maybe two or three more tournaments next season which may be important.”
The par 72 Stadium Course proved a tougher task in round one, with only three of the top 13 players on the leaderboard playing it in the first round - Sandelin carding a six under par 66 and Charlie Ford and James Kamte shooting rounds of 67.
Carolan, who tied for 36th at the UBS Hong Kong Open two weeks ago, opened his account on the Tour Course with an eagle at the par five tenth on his way to a six under par 64.
“I’m struggling a bit as I’ve got flu,” he admitted. “But I had one of those rounds where every putt could’ve gone in. Some did and the ones that didn’t just lipped out, so every putt I hit I felt it was going in. I was five under at the turn so I had a great first nine – the back nine on the Tour Course – so my score could have been even better.”
Ruth also finished six under, defying a niggling injury which has bothered him for months. “I’ve been suffering from tendinitis which has come and gone throughout the season and it’s affected me mentally as much as physically,” he said. “I felt it earlier in the week but the physios here did a great job with me this morning and I felt a lot more confident today.”
Alexandre Kaleka of France, who won the Challenge Tour’s ALLIANZ EurOpen de Lyon six days after turning professional, started with a four under par 66 on the Tour Course, which was blighted by two bogeys in his last three holes.
