The Alstom Open is a vital stop on the European Tour because the top three finishers qualify for the British Open.
That’s particularly vexing for a majority of the field so far this week, considering three of the top 4 men on the leader board are already qualified for the third Major of the year.
American Kevin Stadler, one of just seven Yankees in the entire 156-man field, leads the tournament after one day thanks to his 7-under 64.
Ranked 62nd in the world, Staler fired seven birdies without a single bogey on the round, turning it on to start the back nine with three straight birdies on 10-12, and another on No. 14.
He holds a one-stroke lead over Germany’s Marcel Siem, the only man among the top four not qualified for the British Open as of yet. Siem shot a 6-under 65, but missed a chance to tie for the lead due his bogey on No. 18.
Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher is third at 5-under. Ranked 37th in the world and No. 10 in the Race to Dubai standings, Gallacher was just 1-under at hte turn thanks to two bogeys on 7 and 9, but had four birdies on the back nine to round into form.
Tied for fifth are world No. 30 Jamie Donaldson – fourth in the Race to Dubai – and Chile’s Felipe Aguilar – at 4-under. Like Siem, Aguilar hasn’t qualified for the British Open as of yet.
Donaldson was at even par through 11, then rattled off four straight birdies. Aguilar started off red-hot, reaching 5-under through 14, then cooled off with back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17.
US Open champion Martin Kaymer struggled in the early going with a 1-over 72, tying him for 43rd. Ranked No. 12 in the world and No. 2 in the Race to Dubai, Kaymer was already 3-over through two holes thanks largely to a double bogey on No. 1. He rallied for three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine to get close to even.
Way out in left field was Race to Dubai leader Thomas Bjorn, who shot one of his worst rounds of the season, a 5-over 76, tying him for 124th, along with fellow Top 20 Race to Dubai position holders George Coetzee and Victor Dubuisson, the defending tournament champion.
Bjorn was 1-under at the break, but racked up the bizarre sequence of four double bogeys and one eagle on the back nine.
Coetzee came apart on the back nine as well after hitting the turn at 1-under. He ended his round with a triple bogey 7 on No. 18.
Dubuisson started the way Coetzee finished, with a triple bogey on No. 1.
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