Australia’s Brett Rumford and Norwegian Knut Borsheim shared a one-stroke lead after the opening day of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Rumford and Borsheim played alongside each other to end their rounds with five-under par 67s and upstage a host of Ryder Cup hopefuls amongst the Gleneagles field in Scotland on Thursday.
Australia was well represented at the top of the leaderboard, with Andrew Dodt (three-under 69), Daniel Gaunt (two-under 70) and Matthew Zions (one-under 71) looking the goods.
Confirmed European Ryder Cup stars Paul Lawrie of Scotland and Francesco Molinari of Italy, are in a group lying in third place at four under par.
Belguim’s Nicolas Colsaerts, well placed in a group on three under par, knows that if he were to finish first or second at Gleneagles he would automatically qualify for the European Ruder Cup team, and as the only rookie in the side.
“I am very happy as I was in control of my game all day and this is the start that I wanted and something without too much stress,” said Colsaerts.
“The only thing I can do this week is to make sure of what I do and not worry about the others. But then it is difficult not to think about the Ryder Cup and it’s getting pretty intense as I’ve been in this situation for a couple of weeks.
“I played well in America and then I came back here and I have the media all over me all the time, so it makes it difficult not to think about the Ryder Cup.”
Colsaerts, who highlighted his round with four birdies in five holes, is playing the first two rounds alongside European vice-captain and defending Johnnie Walker champion, Thomas Bjorn who shot a 70.
The Scotland tournament is the final European Ryder Cup counting event with Colsaerts the only player who can change the current make-up of the leading 10 qualifiers on the Ryder Cup points table.
“Nicolas (Colsaerts) has a lot of work still to do as there are still three more days to go,” said European captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who signed for a six over par 78 on the first day at Gleneagles.
“If he stays fit and mentally strong, he might win, we’ll have to wait and see.”
