Green magic leads to Lynn's lowest round ever

DAVID LYNN attributed the lowest round of his professional career to his success on the greens after an opening 63 gave him a one-stroke lead in the KLM Open in Holland.

Lynn started superbly with birdies on the first three holes, including a 20ft putt on the second and 30ft effort on the third.

He made another birdie on the seventh and, after dropping a shot at the 11th, bounced back immediately by hitting a three iron to 25ft and sinking the putt for an eagle three on the 486-yard 12th.

Two more birdies came at the 15th and 18th to leave the Stoke golfer one ahead of Surrey golfer Andrew Raitt, who eagled the par-four second by holing a 134-yard nine-iron shot and then had five birdies in his last seven holes.

However, straight after his round Raitt confirmed he will quit the sport for good at the end of this season.

The 34-year-old is struggling to compete after a dog bit off part of his little finger in 1995, affecting not only his grip and swing but costing him around £400,000 in legal costs.

New Zealander Stephen Scahill, who began with five successive birdies, Ryder Cup hopeful Paul McGinley, Australian Richard Green and Austrian Martin Wiegele were all five under.

Swedes Per Nyman and Patrik Sjoland and Scot Raymond Russell were a shot further back after 66s, while Ian Poulter - another hoping his Ryder Cup future will be clearer after this week - fellow Englishmen David Dixon and Miles Tunnicliff and Welshman David Park are three under.

McGinley, who is in with a chance of making the Ryder Cup, believes he has to win €300,000 in the next four tournaments to stand a chance.

He almost did not come to Holland as he wanted to rest his knee on which he had surgery earlier this year after seven tournaments in a row but was persuaded it would be a good idea by his manager, Andrew Chandler.

"It looks as if it was the right decision to come now. Sixty-five is a great score round here and I'm off to a great start," said McGinley.

"It has not been a course that has been that kind to me maybe it has got a bit of making up to do.

"I made a bogey on the first [his only dropped shot of the round] because of over-aggressiveness but you have to be aggressive to shoot low numbers."

Ian Poulter was another who made a last-minute decision to come this is his eighth successive event in order to strengthen the grip he has on a place in the Ryder Cup team at present.

He too was pleased with his putting. "I probably felt as good on the putting green as I have in a year, hence the reason I made so many birdies out there," he said.