Rocco Forte Open 2017: Sebastian Soderberg, Michael Hoey Share Lead at 10-Under
Sebastian Soderberg and Michael Hoey shot superb 10-under par rounds of 61 on the opening day of the Rocco Forte Open.
The co-leaders took apart the Verdura Golf Course on Thursday with some brilliant play, amassing a collective 18 birdies and one eagle between them. Despite such impressive numbers, there are plenty of players in close contention to the duo, with South Africa’s Zander Lombard the closest on nine-under par.
Those in attendance in Sicily certainly got their money’s worth on Day 1 with some seriously low scoring. Here’s a look at the leaderboard and a recap of the best action as the competition got started.
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| T1. | Sebastian Soderberg | -10 |
| T1. | Michael Hoey | -10 |
| 3. | Zander Lombard | -9 |
| T4. | Alvaro Quiros | -8 |
| T4. | Sebastian Heisele | -8 |
| T4. | Jbe Kruger | -8 |
| T7. | Lee Slattery | -7 |
| T7. | Jose-Filipe Lima | -7 |
| T7. | Eduardo de la Riva | -7 |
| T7. | David Horsey | -7 |
For the leaderboard in full visit the European Tour website.
Thursday Recap
There were clear signs early in the day that there were going to be some low scores posted, as Soderberg built some brilliant momentum.
He picked up shots at the second, fourth, sixth and eighth on the front nine. Things got even better for Soderberg at the par-five ninth, as an eagle saw him through the first half of his round in just 30 strokes.
Birdies at 10 and 11 prompted hopes of a sub-60 round, although a run of five pars in succession dashed those chances. However, Soderberg ensured impetus was behind him heading into Day 2, as he notched back-to-back birdies at the final two holes to post 10-under.
As noted by the European Tour Twitter feed, the Swede showcased some pinpoint accuracy in his iron play on Thursday:
The co-leader admitted he was thinking about a possible 59 at one point. "That was all I thought about walking down the par-five 12th," he revealed, per the European Tour website. "For me it kind of helped me to help keep me going, I didn't feel like it stopped me. I definitely had a couple of putts the last seven holes that could have run in. Overall, great round."
Having signed his card, Soderberg surely wouldn’t have foreseen anyone pulling level with him. But Hoey did.
The Northern Irishman started his day with a birdie at the 11th and he continued to pick up shots throughout, including a run of six birdies in seven holes. It was a round that means two men will start Day 2 on 10-under par.
There was more stunning play elsewhere on the course too. Alvaro Quiros, who is two shots off the lead on eight-under, bagged a hole-in-one at the 13th. Andrew Dodt almost did the same at the fifth:
Meanwhile, European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn, who is six-under after Day 1, gave his Twitter followers an insight into the plush surroundings in Sicily:
Indeed, the conditions were perfect for the players on Thursday and they responded with some extraordinary golf. It means the leaderboard is in a fascinating state as the players gear up for Friday.
Going out early in the day, Hoey will hope to put some distance between himself and Soderberg. However, it’d be a massive surprise if both men, and the rest of the field, were able to keep up such immaculate standards on Friday and over the course of the weekend when the pressure begins to bite.
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