Solid start for Faldo

Nick Faldo sat only two shots off the early clubhouse lead on the opening day of the Hong Kong Open, but still cut a frustrated figure as he lodged a one-under-par round of 69 at the scorer’s hut.

The 46-year-old, without a tour victory in six years, made a promising start in Fanling, birdying his first two holes before struggling on a cloudless, warm but breezy day.

Faldo bogeyed the par-four 13th – his fourth – before reaching the turn with five consecutive pars.

All was looking rosy on the way home as he picked up shots on the second and fourth, only to drop consecutive strokes and finish two behind early pace-setters Lian-wei Zhang of China and Australian Kim Felton.

“It was messy. I just made a few mistakes – tactical, club selection errors,” he said.

“It was a very good start, then I lost the momentum and was up and down. I didn’t take the opportunities when I should, I messed up on a couple.

“The course is very good, in great shape and it’s tricky. A breeze is blowing and with this clear sky you can’t see which way it’s going and that is very tough.”

Former champions Jose Maria Olazabal (2001) and Fredrik Jacobson (2002) both registered opening rounds of 68, though the Spaniard had to battle hard for his two-under-par score.

Olazabal double bogeyed the 10th, his first, to immediately find himself on the back foot – but it was the only mistake he made all day.

By the turn, he had clawed back one of the shots, with a birdie on the 17th - his eighth – and then played faultless golf to birdie the first, third and fourth to finish in profit for the day.

“The start was pretty bad. I managed to get it back, but I was still lacking consistency,” said Olazabal, who has begun work on redesigning his swing.

“I can hit a few good shots but all of a sudden I hit too many bad ones in a row. That is what I must get rid of.

“I am really pleased, don’t get me wrong. They have lengthened the golf course a bit and made nine par-fours which is a much tougher test, so anything under-par you must be happy with.”

Jacobson believes that, while a two-under total may hardly set the record books alight, it will keep him firmly in the hunt as he defends the title he won here last year.

He said: “I am quite happy. I had a tough start, thought I played alright but didn’t make any of the chances I had in the beginning.

“It didn’t happen, but then suddenly I made a bunker shot and a putt from 50 feet and that got me back into it a little bit.

“I think I am in a good position now. It was nice to get it down to a couple under.”

Jacobson’s victory here last year was his first on the European tour and kick-started a memorable season for the Swede, in which he won the Algarve Open and the Volvo Masters.

“It was always going to be special this place because I won here for the first time. But it is not exactly the same course that was here last year,” he added.

“It differs quite a bit, and also the conditions. The greens are much firmer this year so I don’t think the scores will be as low as last year, so a couple under leaves me there or thereabouts.”

England’s David Geall finished tied with Jacobson and Olazabal on two under, along with Derek Fung, a member of the Hong Kong Golf Club, who was leading on four under heading into his 16th before dropping back into the pack with consecutive bogeys.

Zhang was delighted with his short game on greens that have hardened under the sun, even since yesterday’s pro-am event.

“I saved four pars by chipping close, so that really helped me stay bogey free,” he said.

KJ Choi, playing partner of Zhang and Faldo, was keeping pace with the pair until a double bogey on the fifth – his 14th – set him back.

That was followed by a bogey on the seventh to leave him on even par for the round.

And as one of the players with genuine title aspirations, having received a significant confidence boost in last week’s President’s Cup, he was annoyed.

“Two mistakes with my course management cost me three strokes today,” said Choi.

“At the par-three fifth hole I had 218 yards to the pin and hit a five iron.

“The wind was quite strong and the ball plugged in a greenside bunker. I failed to get out first time, put it on the green with my next shot and two putted (for a double-bogey five).

“At the seventh I was in trouble off the tee and was lucky to escape with a bogey after holing a good putt.”