DP World Tour : BMW International
Edoardo Molinari, Rikuya Hoshino and Adrien Saddier will share a one-shot lead heading into day two of the BMW International Open after balmy conditions gave way to storms in Munich.
The leading trio all went out in the morning at Golfclub München Eichenried and posted rounds of 66 that would not be caught before the threat of lightning saw play suspended at 6.52pm local time.
Round one will resume at 8.00am on Friday morning, with Dutchman Daan Huizing returning to complete the ninth - his final hole - just one shot off the lead.
Local trio Marc Hammer, Maximilian Kieffer and Thomas Rosenmueller were all also at five under having completed their rounds, alongside French duo Romain Langasque and Matthieu Pavon.
Molinari could be forgiven for focusing on his Ryder Cup vice captaincy this season but he has been an incredibly consistent performer in 2023, making nine cuts from 13 starts with a top ten.
The Italian bogeyed his opening hole of the day - the tenth - but put a stunning tee-shot to three feet at the 12th, put his approach to six feet at the next and then took advantage of the par-five 18th to turn in 34.
He holed from off the green at the second and then made a hat-trick of gains as he holed a lengthy putt on the fourth, drove to the fringe on the short par-four fifth and made his birdie at the par-five next.
A dropped shot at the eighth came as he found sand off the tee but another birdie at the par-five ninth had him at six under.
“I think it’s a very good opening round," he said. "I’m a little bit disappointed to be honest because I hit the ball fantastic tee-to-green, but putting, again, wasn’t good at all. You can’t complain with a six under so I’ll take it, move on and try to improve the putting.
“I think it’s important to have a fast start. I bogeyed ten this morning so I was immediately on the back foot and then I managed to make some birdies pretty soon.
"I gave myself chances on almost every hole and could’ve been a lot lower but, six under, take it and move on."
He would be joined at six under by Saddier at Hoshino as the duo - who both started on the first - enjoyed fast finishes to their rounds.
Saddier drove the fifth and took advantage of the sixth but then dropped a shot on the eighth, picked it back up on the par-five 11th and put an approach inside ten feet on the 14th.
Another brilliant approach brought a birdie at the 16th and a tee-shot to three feet on the 17th and gain on the last made it a closing hat-trick.
“It was a great round," he said. "I was feeling good about my game in the last few weeks. I played well at the Porsche European Open, I had two weeks off to work on my game and I just feel like each part of my game is quite nice.
“I just got some momentum. I had a good save on ten, wedge, putt and made birdie, had another birdie on 14 and finished quite nicely so I’m just being patient and making putts.
“It always helps to have a good start but it’s just the first day. There are three more to go, so we’ll see.”
Hoshino took a leaf out of Molinari's book as he birdied the gettable fourth, fifth and sixth and while he bogeyed the ninth, the shot was quickly recovered with an approach to 12 feet at the tenth.
And after matching Molinari, it would be Saddier's lead he followed next, holing from 31 feet at the 16th, 12 feet at the 17th and 25 feet at the last for a closing hat-trick of his own.
Pavon was bogey-free in his round, while Langasque was two feet from a hole-in-one at the par-four 16th as they posted rounds of 67.
Kieffer and Rosenmueller both made three bogeys and eight birdies in their rounds, while Hammer dropped a single shot.
Two-time winner this season Adrian Meronk was then in a nine-strong group in the clubhouse at four under, while Kiwi Daniel Hillier was also at that mark through 15 holes.
Takumi Kanaya made the 25th hole-in-one of the season as he hit a perfect nine iron from 169 yards on the 12th.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
