Ryan Fox has started his US Open preparations on the south coast of Portugal with a 4-under 67 in the first round of the Portugal Open.
Fox had five birdies in the first nine holes before levelling out on the back nine with two birdies and three bogeys to finish the round six shots behind the leader Liam Johnston from Scotland who is on 10-under par.
Johnston produced the lowest round of his European Tour career with a 10-under 61 to be one shot ahead of Julien Guerrier who made nine birdies – including four in a row from the 14th – in his flawless 62 to sit alone in second on 9-under.
Fox tees off at 7.15pm NZT on Friday and the end of his round should appear on the Sky Sport 6 TV coverage which begins at 10pm.
US PGA Tour
Across the Atlantic in the USA, Tim Wilkinson has finished the opening day of the Safeway Open tied for 9th on 5-under, four shots behind the leader Russell Knox on 9-under.
Wilkinson, playing the first US PGA event of the new 2020/21 season in the Napa Valley California shot four birdies and a bogey in his first nine holes of the day. His run home on the front nine he nabbed a bogey on the 3rd and then three birdies on 5,7 and 9 to finish with 67.
To finish the round, the Kiwi made a 9-foot for birdie. He tees off in the second round at 8.10am NZT on Saturday morning and the Sky Sport 6 coverage begins at 8am.
Korn Ferry Tour
Nick Voke has hit his straps in the first round of the Evans Scholars Invitational event in Chicago with eight birdies to finish with a 3-under 69, only three shots behind leader Trey Mullinax in the next round of the Korn Ferry Tour.
If it wasn’t for a double-bogey on the 11th, Voke would’ve been knocking on the door of the leader and looks set for a big weekend following a couple of forgettable performances in previous Korn Ferry events that he has played.
Voke tied for second at the start of August at the Pinnacle Bank Championships but since then tied for 34th and then just last week missed the cut in the tournament held in Colombia.
Fellow Kiwi Steven Alker is also in the field in Chicago and finished with 2-over 74 on the opening day.
Alker will tee off at 4.50am NZT and Voke off at 6.40am NZT on Saturday.
