JC Ritchie opened the Challenge Tour’s Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil in Le Vaudreuil, France on Thursday with a three-under-par 68 to sit in a share of seventh after the first round.
Ritchie made four birdies and a bogey in a solid round to be four shots off the lead held by Paul Peterson of the United States who also dropped just one shot on his way to a superb seven-under 64. That gave him a three-stroke lead over five players on four-under, while Ritchie shared seventh with four other players.
Oliver Bekker also had a good start, with his two-under 69 putting him in a share of 12th. Jayden Schaper overcame a double bogey and two bogeys to sign for a level-par 71. Hennie du Plessis also carded level-par with three bogeys and three birdies. Jacques Blaauw had a quadruple-bogey eight on the par-four 15th, but pulled it back to two-over for the round. Bryce Easton battled his way to a four-over 75, as did Jacques Kruyswijk.
