From DP World Tour
Losing ‘seven or eight balls’ in a practice round doesn’t sound the best of pre-tournament preparation but Richard Sterne said it was to his benefit as he got off to a fast start on Thursday at the Nexo Championship.
Storm Floris brought strong winds earlier in the week in the UK, including on the Aberdeenshire coastline, with players facing challenging conditions as the DP World Tour professionals got to grips with the Old Course at Trump International Golf Links.
Sterne was one of those, struggling over the links layout on Tuesday, but the gusts have since gone and been replaced by a moderate breeze, with Sterne taking advantage of the improved weather to card a flawless five-under-par 67 to set the early pace.
“When I was here on Tuesday, it was about double this wind and I lost about seven or eight balls,” he said.
“I wasn’t off to the world’s best start, but it is a lot calmer than it was then. I think Tuesday did me a bit of good.”
Teeing off at the 10th among the morning wave in Scotland, the South African bookended his front nine with birdies, before adding further gains at the par five first and third after an excellent four-iron to the par-three.
He added a fifth of the day after getting up and down from just off the green at the drivable par-four seventh, before finishing par-par to set what is a course record – which, should it remain the case at the close of the week, would earn him $10,000 through a new initiative on the DP World Tour in a partnership with title sponsor Nexo.
“The course is quite tricky even though the wind is not as bad as it has been in the practice rounds,” he added.
“I played well. I hit the ball well, better than I have been for a while so that was quite key. I drove it well off the tees as well so that helped.”
The DP World Tour is making its first visit to Trump International Golf Links Scotland and Sterne praised the test posed by the Martin Howtree layout which opened in 2012.
“It was quite a wake-up call when I get here on Monday and Tuesday with that wind blowing at the speed it did,” he said.
“Yesterday showed how beautiful the course is, and I think it has got a lot of good things about it. It is a tough golf course. If the wind can stay like it is then it is quite playable, but I think if it gets a bit winder then it becomes really tricky.
“There are beautiful views and a good layout.”
Playing on a membership extension category this season, six-time DP World Tour winner Sterne has struggled for form, coming into the penultimate event on the Closing Swing on the back of four missed cuts in succession.
But he is hopeful his encouraging start this week can provide him with the impetus for a strong run of performances over the remainder of the season.
“I need to have some good performances,” said Sterne, who sits 156th on the Race to Dubai Rankings.
“It has been a tough year. I have been coming back from a lot of injuries. It has been a very slow year, missed a lot of cuts. Not by a long way but missing them is missing them so I need to try and have some good finishes.
“I have got a long stretch in front of me now, so I need to try and put something good together. There is a long way to go this week.
“It is a draining golf course, you have got to hit a lot of good iron shots. One day at a time and I am happy with today, so it is a good start for me.”
Also getting a good start were Thomas Aiken and Louis Albertse, who were a shot off Sterne’s pace on four-under-par in a share of second. Justin Harding had a two-under 70 and was in a share of 13th, while Neil Schietekat was on level-par 72 in a share of 27th.
