Nilsson Leads Quality Field at the Estoril Challenge

Sweden’s Christian L Nilsson stamped his authority on the European Challenge Tour’s Estoril Challenge with an excellent opening round of six under par 66 at Penha Longa Golf Club. Nilsson, who won his playing privileges for The 2006 European Tour at the Final Stage of the 2005 Qualifying School put together a bogey free round to establish a one stroke advantage over his fellow countryman Oskar Bergman and Spain’s Carlos Garcia.

Nilsson faces a tough battle to hold onto that lead with some outstanding players in pursuit of him. Former European Tour winners Diego Borrego of Spain (four under par) and Sweden’s Michael Jonzon (three under) are within striking distance of the Swede, while José Manuel Carriles of Spain, who won the 1997 Estoril Challenge, is also on four under after an opening round of 68.

Spain’s Daniel Quiros and Welshman Stuart Manley joined Borrego and Carriles on four under par, while Jonzon’s opening 69 was matched by another seven players, including the Challenge Tour’s most recent champion, Johan Axgren of Sweden, who defeated his countryman Alexander Noren in a sudden-death play-off for the recent Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open 2006.

Also on three under is Frenchman Sebastian Delagrange, who had one of the shots of the day at the par three seventh hole – a perfect five iron that pitched just a foot from the hole and spun into the cup for a delightful hole in one.

Of all the players in the field, however, it was Nilsson who had the most good shots as he cruised his way to an opening 66 in what where the best conditions of the first round.

“I think that the conditions were better for myself and the rest of the afternoon players,” said Nilsson, “but I also just played very well today. I have been in Portugal for over a week now preparing for this tournament but I have not been playing like this at all, so it was a very nice surprise to be play so well today.

“I think the highlight of my day has to be on the sixth, the par five, where I only had a wedge to the green after a big, big drive, and the allowed me to make an eagle three there, which is always very satisfying. I suppose when you play well you always think about the shots you left out there and the fact that your round could have been that little bit better, but I am generally pleased.”

Bergman and Quiros were also pleased with their opening efforts. The Swede managed to “make two birdies in the dark as I finished my round”, while the Spaniard described his first round as “almost perfect. I hist my driver, my irons and my putter very well today and just had one bogey so I feel very good for the rest of the week.”

For Borrego, the 1996 Turespaña Masters Open Comunitat Valenciana Paradores de Turismo champion, this season on the Challenge Tour represents an opportunity to get back to his best after only recently making a full recovery from the surgery on the tendons in his left shoulder that sorely affected his career.

“I feel that I have only recently recovered in full from the operation and that was 18 months ago. Obviously, when a golfer suffers from tendonitis it affects them badly, but I feel ready to come back fully now. This is the first round of competitive golf I have played since the Mallorca Classic last season, so it was great to put in an opening score of four under.”