Share

Gros braves gusts in Germany to lead

Cape Town - Sebastien Gros has a one stroke lead after a gusty opening round of the BMW International Open on Thursday.

The Frenchman signed for a four under 68 around the Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof in Pulheim, enough to edge Scott Jamieson, Jorge Campillo, Aaron Rai and Henric Sturehed for the lead.

Gros enjoyed a fast start and flawless front nine, making four birdies to rise up the leaderboard. The conditions made the going tough on the back nine and while Gros drained a six foot putt for birdie on the 15th, he gave the shot straight back on the next hole.

Nonetheless, the world number 693, who has one top ten finish from 11 events in 2018, was happy with his effort. 

"Today was very special because the conditions were quite brutal,” the 28-year-old told europeantour.com.

“There was a lot of wind, sometimes a three-club wind, so it's a good start. It's just Thursday so no need to start thinking about anything, it's just a good round, and we'll try to take enough confidence out of this round to keep going for the rest of the week. "If we got 72 holes with this wind, it could be our US Open just after the US Open. You have to keep the ball in play and you have to be good on the greens, especially with the wind. The putter has been working today, I just hope it will keep me smiling all week."

A host of players are in T6 on two under, including England’s David Howell and Nico Geyger of Chile.

Leading first round scores at the BMW International Open, Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof, Pulheim, Germany on Thursday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):

68 - Sebastien Gros (FRA)

69 - Jorge Campillo (ESP), Scott Jamieson, Henric Sturehed (SWE), Aaron Rai

70 - Nico Geyger (COL), Nicolai Von Dellingshausen (GER), Mark Tullo (CHI), Christofer Blomstrand (SWE), David Howell, Victor Perez (FRA)

71 - Maximilian Kieffer (GER), Mikko Korhonen (FIN), Scott Hend (AUS), Andrew Sullivan, Ernie Els (RSA), Andres Romero (ARG), Wade Ormsby (AUS), Nacho Elvira (ESP), Thomas Detry (BEL, Adrian Otaegui (ESP), Julien Quesne (FRA)

72 - Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Chris Wood, David Horsey, Martin Kaymer (GER), Christopher Mivis (BEL), Nick Cullen (AUS), Chris Paisley, Matthias Schwab (AUT), Eirik Tage Johansen (NOR), Mark Foster, Richard Sterne (

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE