Robin Williams made seven birdies on Thursday in the opening round of the Challenge Tour’s Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort in Vau Óbidos, Portugal, but a double-bogey and two bogeys saw him sign for a three-under-par 68.

That put him in a share of 12^th, but had he not dropped those shots, he could well have been in the lead. As it turned out, he was three strokes off the top of the leaderboard which was occupied by Ryan Lumsden of Scotland, who also had seven birdies, but just one bogey.

Lumsden led by one from four players in a share of second on five-under, and there were six players on four-under in a share of sixth, one ahead of Williams.

Williams made three birdies on his front nine after starting his round on the 10^th, but his double came on the par-three 15^th as he reached the turn on one-under 35. He dropped two shots early on his back nine, on the second and third, but he made four birdies in the final five holes, including three in a row from the seventh to the ninth.

Also in a share of 12^th with Williams was Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith.

Wilco Nienaber and JC Ritchie each carded one-under-par 70 in their opening rounds for a share of 29^th. Deon Germishuys had a level-par 71 for a share of 49^th, together with, amongst others, Rhys Enoch of Wales.

Bryce Easton and Louis Albertse battled to a pair of five-over-par 76s to be down in a share of 137^th.