Kjeldsen outshines Order of Merit contenders in Volvo Masters
Soren Kjeldsen leads the way at the Volvo Masters
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Thursday, 30, Oct 2008 09:14
Dane Soren Kjeldsen was the outstanding player in the first round of the Volvo Masters in Valderrama as he carded a first round six-under-par 65.
With all eyes fixed on the battle to claim the European Order of Merit, Kjeldsen stole the limelight by playing beautifully on the tough course and blustery conditions to hit eight birdies and just two bogeys. He leads Spaniard Sergio Garcia by three strokes, with English pair Anthony Wall and David Lynn on two-under-par.
"The breeze was strong and there's not that much space out there really," said Kjeldsen. "You have to control the ball well and seems like pretty much every shot I hit today came up sort of the way I saw it before hitting it.
"You've got to take advantage of those days, and I did. There's a long way to go. But to do six under today, I couldn't have predicted that."
Current Order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson, who needs to finish ahead of Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez to make sure of being crowned the European number one, fired a solid round of two-over-par 73.
He is on the same score as Jimenez, three ahead of Harington, but is three strokes behind Englishman Westwood. Harrington and Westwood could win the Order of Merit if they win the tournament and Karlsson finishes outside the top four. While Jimenez needs to win and can claim the Order of Merit if Karlsson finishes outside the top 20.