ATZENBRUGG, September 22, 2011 (AFP) - Welsh 41-year-old rookie Liam Bond, who only escaped qualifying school at the 16th attempt last year, took a one-shot lead at the Austrian Open on Thursday.
He enjoyed seven birdies, with four coming in the last five holes, against one bogey, for a six-under-par 66 to lead by one from Denmark's Thomas Norret, Australian Daniel Gaunt and Dutchman Joost Luiten.
Steve Webster of England was a shot further back on 68.
It was a timely round for Bond, who has yet to record a top-20 finish this season and who came into the tournament on a run of five successive missed cuts.
At 193 on The Race to Dubai order of merit, Bond still faces a huge struggle to keep his card for next year.
"I played really well today -- I didn't miss too many shots," he said.
"I had a couple of really good up-and-downs early in the round to stay under par when I could have easily slipped back over par. Then I had a great finish with four birdies in my last five holes.
"I haven’t been the best with the putter on Tour this year so it was very nice to strike the ball well and see a lot of them go in the hole. I have to say that the greens here are outstanding.
"I have played all right this year -- I think I have missed five cuts by a single shot, so that tells you that you are not playing badly. Things just went my way today."
Of the three Walker Cup players making their professional debuts in the event, Andy Sullivan had the best day with a level-par 72.
Tom Lewis, who shot to fame at the British Open in July with an opening 65, is two over, while Northern Irishman Paul Cutler struggled to an opening round 77.
Leading and selected first round scores at the Austrian Open at the Diamond Country Club, Atzenbrugg, on Thursday (GBR and IRL unless stated, par 72):
66 - Liam Bond
67 - Thomas Norret (DEN), Daniel Gaunt (AUS), Joost Luiten (NED)
68 - Steve Webster
69 - Joakim Haeggman (SWE), Gary Orr, Birgir Hafthorsson (ICL), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND)
70 - Marc Warren, Oskar Henningsson (SWE), Miles Tunnicliff, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
71 - Richard Bland, Clemens Prader (AUT), Jason Barnes, Jamie Little, Christian Nilsson (SWE), Magnus A Carlsson (SWE), Trent Leon (USA), Jarmo Sandelin (SWE), Jesus Legarrea (ESP), Stuart Manley, Mikko Korhonen (FIN), Mark Brown (NZL), Paul Broadhurst, Florian Pogatschnigg (AUT), Emanuele Canonica (ITA)
72 - Steve Lewton, Robert Coles, Oliver Wilson, Fredrik Henge (SWE), Kenneth Ferrie, Gary Boyd, Stephen Dodd, Andrew Sullivan, Tommy Fleetwood, Wade Ormsby (AUS), Matthew Bliss (CAN), Andrea Maestroni (ITA), Kyron Sullivan, Victor Dubuisson (FRA), Matthias Schwab (AUT), Gary Murphy, Christoph Gunther (GER), Jurgen Maurer (AUT), Matt Haines, Tim Sluiter (NED), Cesar Monasterio (ARG)
73 - Rafael Echenique (ARG), Simon Wakefield, Jamie Elson, Gregory Molteni (ITA), Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (ESP), Alex Haindl (RSA), Fredrik Ohlsson (SWE), Jan Are Larsen (NOR), Matthew Nixon, Scott Drummond, Julio Zapata (ARG), Guillaume Watremez (BEL), Lloyd Saltman, Marco Ruiz (PAR), David Drysdale, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP), Pedro Oriol (ESP), Andreas Harto (DEN)
Selected:
74 - Tom Lewis, John Daly (USA)
75 - Padraig Harrington