Tunnicliff in the frame

Defending champion Miles Tunnicliff was one shot off the lead after the first round of the Mauritius Open at the Belle Mare Plage Legend course.

Tunnicliff carded six birdies in a five-under-par 67 which put him one stroke behind Frenchman Philippe Lima.

The 37-year-old, who is based in Spain, was not entirely happy with his form but managed to avoid trouble on the tight, tree-lined course.

He said: “I wasn’t hitting the ball as consistently as I would have liked but the important thing was that I kept it straight, which is essential round here.”

Tunnicliff would have enjoyed a share of the lead but for a dropped shot at the short 17th, which he three-putted.

That left Lima on his own as the early pacesetter thanks to a run of four successive birdies and an eagle towards the end of his round.

Lima, who started from the 10th tee, was level par at the turn but picked up four birdies from the second and then eagled the par-five sixth.

Sharing second place with Tunnicliff are the Belgians, Arnaud Langenaeken and Nicolas Vanhootegem, and Frenchman, Christian Cevaer.

One stroke further back are two other Englishman, Jamie Donaldson and Simon Hurd, after both shot four-under-par 68s.