Connor Syme and Grant Forrest in early share of lead at Open de Espana

Connor Syme of Scotland. Pic: Steve Welsh/PA Wire

Scotland’s Connor Syme and Grant Forrest both made a five-under-par 66 to share a three-way lead after the opening round of the Open de Espana in Madrid, where Sergio Garcia sits just one shot back.

Starting on the 10th, Syme made a quick start with back-to-back birdies then rolled in a 52-foot putt at the 15th as he headed into the turn five under.

A tap-in birdie at the fourth saw Syme take the solo lead at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, but he was then not able to save par on the eighth after finding the rough off the tee.

Forrest also started his round on the back nine and after two bogeys, on 13 and then three, he finished strongly with a run of three birdies through the closing six holes.

Eugenio Chacarra made the lowest first round in seven appearances at his national open with a 66, which included two eagles as well as three bogeys, to also share the lead.

Garcia, whose stay with LIV Golf appears to be coming to an end, is in a group at four under, with an eagle on the fourth and four birdies offsetting two bogeys.

Daniel Hillier landed the keys to a new BMW iX5 with his first hole-in-one on the DP World Tour at the par-three 17th.

“I wasn’t too happy with the strike,” Hillier said in quotes on the DP Tour website.

“I was telling it to go the whole way, but it kind of hung in the air for a little bit longer than I thought, and then, yeah, heard some cheers… a little bit of disbelief for a while, but it’s nice to see it go in.” 

The New Zealander went on to finishing in the group alongside Garcia, Spain’s Angel Ayora and Dane Jacob Skov Olesen, whose 67 was blemish free.

Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed, though, had a frustrating round on his return from injury, finishing down the field at two over.

Shane Lowry sits four back of the lead on -1 after a solid showing on day one in Madrid. The Irish Open champion shot 70, carding four birdies after a slow start. Tom McKibbin carded a 73 in the opening round, currently sitting in a tie for 48th place.