DP World Tour : BMW PGA Championship ' Leaderboard
Matthew Baldwin produced a flawless performance to leave the big names in his wake and lead by one shot at the BMW PGA Championship.
The Englishman may have started the day under the radar at Wentworth Club, but his rivals and fans will know his name now after climbing to the summit at -7 65
He was one of only two players to keep a clean card on the first day of the flagship event on the DP World Tour schedule - the other was Frenchman Jeong weon Ko - and Baldwin held his nerve to roll in his seventh birdie at the last to take the outright lead.
It is his first round lead since the 2018 Soudal Open as he sits one clear of Denmark's Niklas Nørgaard 66 and Belgian Thomas Detry 66
"It was lovely. I feel like my game has been pretty strong for a while and to actually put it into a performance is nice, a nice positive," Baldwin said.
"I stayed patient. I got off to a good start which obviously then you gain momentum. I holed a few nice putts and I hit it close when I needed to.
"It's definitely been coming. My game's been strong for a while, results haven't always shown that and I'm quite good at getting in the way of myself. I think today I've tried to be as calm and positive as I could.
"It's great, this is the tournament as players we all look forward to. It's a great week on and off the golf course. It's a pleasure to be here.
"I've proved I can shoot a good number and hopefully let's do it again."
Nørgaard had set the daunting clubhouse target of -6 after mixing seven gains and one dropped shot as he continued his love affair with English golf courses.
The 32-year-old claimed his maiden DP World Tour title at the Betfred British Masters earlier this month and maintained his recent fine form in Surrey.
Eleven players were at -5 67 with McIlroy and Perez sitting alongside French pair Ko and Ugo Coussaud, Ryder Cup stars Robert MacIntyre and Shane Lowry, English trio Marcus Armitage, Dan Bradbury and Andy Sullivan and former winners Billy Horschel and Matteo Manassero.
Hurly Long recorded the 26th hole-in-one of the DP World Tour campaign at the fifth hole. Long hit an inch-perfect shot, using a seven iron for the 198-yard hole to continue his roller coaster first round. The 29-year-old, who opened with a double bogey, birdied the third and fourth before adding an eagle one at the fifth. He finished his front nine with a bogey before picking up a shot at the 12th. Long bogeyed the 13th and 16th to return to level par, only to eagle the par-five last for a 70
Defending champion Ryan Fox battled to -1 71 while Germany's Hurly Long recorded the 26th hole-in-one of the season when he aced the 197-yard fifth hole with a seven iron.
edit *** Canada's Aaron Cockerill is T37 after -2 70. He was at -4 standing on the par 518th tee, but after a splendid drive he proceeded to put 2 approach shots into the water ending up with a double bogey 7. He has an early tee time on Friday.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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