It’s tough when you make six birdies and an eagle for an eight-under-par 64 and still find yourself four shots off the lead, but that was Dean Burmester’s fate in the opening round on Thursday of the European Tour’s Italian Open at Chervo Golf Club, San Vigilio di Pozzolengo in Brescia.
The man who has won seven times on the Sunshine Tour – one of which was the European Tour co-sanctioned Tshwane Open in 2017 – started his round on the 10th hole, and was quickly into his work as he made consecutive birdies on 11, 12 and 13. He made two more ahead of the turn on 17 and 18, and then he made an eagle three on the par-five sixth, before closing out his gains for the day with a birdie on the seventh.
But all that was not enough to be even close to keeping leader Laurie Canter in check: The Englishman also started on the 10th and made birdies on 11, 14, and then three consecutively from 16 to 18. He made five more birdies after the turn on three and four, and then again finished with three in a row from seven to nine. Like Burmester, he also made eagle on six.
Canter’s was the lowest round of the 2020 Race to Dubai, but preferred lies on the fairways meant his score could not be considered a course record. It was still the lowest round of his career and the lowest in the tournament since 1972. It also matched the lowest score to par in European Tour history and was the lowest score to par since Oliver Fisher’s historic 59 at the Portugal Masters in 2018.
Also rubbing his eyes in disbelief after shooting a 64 like Burmester was Joachim B. Hansen of Denmark, who was the only one of the leading trio to have dropped a shot. He made a bogey on 14 after having made seven birdies to that point. He made two more to close out his round.
Next best of the South Africans in the field were Louis de Jager and Bryce Easton, who signed for a pair of four-under 68s. Justin Walters was on two-under, Wilco Nienaber on one-over and JC Ritchie on three-over. Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent joined Ritchie on three-over.
