Sergio Garcia liked the playing conditions Thursday at the Lake Malaren Golf Club and responded with nine birdies and a 64 to lead the first round of the BMW Masters.
Garcia got off to a hot start with birdies on four of the first five holes as he teed off on the back nine. He went out in 33 and added another five on the front nine. “The conditions were quite good, not much wind,” said the 35-year-old Spaniard.
He was a shot better than Victory Dubuisson, winner of the Turkish Airlines Open two weeks ago and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An.
This event is the next-to-last in the European Tour’s final series, which culminates next week in Dubai. Rory McIlroy is the points leader but is skipping this week’s event.
Danny Willett, who trails McIlroy by a little more than 74,000 points, could overtake McIlroy but he’ll have to do better than the 72 he shot to start his week. McIlroy’s other closest pursuers — Shane Lowry and Louis Oosthuizen — shot 70s.
