Matthew Fitzpatrick made two birdies in his final three holes in the restart of the first round of Italian Openaffected by bad weather (storm with electrical appliance), to maintain a one-hit advantage Thomas Bjorn and Joost Luiten in Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, outside Rome, and two about a group of players including Spaniards Adri Arnaus, Rafa Cabrera and Álvaro Quirós and the northern irish Rory McIlroy.
The 2022 US Open champion he was ahead of a large group of chasers after the first 15 holes when play on Thursday was called off due to darkness, after all tee times were delayed by an hour on Thursday due to thunder and lightning. .
That meant many of those who started in the afternoon had to return by 7:30 a.m. this Friday to finish their first rounds.
Fitzpatrick posted an opening round of six under par (65), with 2018 Ryder Cup winner captain Bjørn and six-time DP World Tour winner Luiten a stroke further back.
World number two, Rory McIlroy, is tied for fourth at four under par, along with Gavin Green, Scott Jamieson, Eddie Pepperell, Antoine Rozner and the three Spaniards: Rafa Cabrera, Álvaro Quirós (both left in afternoon shift) and Adri Arnaus (in the morning, as McIlroy).
Cabrera birdied his final three holes to score an opening round 67, which Quirós matched with a birdie at the ninth, which began on the 10th hole.
The defending champion, Dane Nicolai Højgaardwas among a trio of players behind, at three under par, after his opening 68.
The second round started at 8 am this Friday.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
