Zander Lombard opened the innovative Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden on Thursday with a three-under-par 69 as the DP World Tour showed what ‘growing the game’ could look like for the second year in a row.
In a field consisting of 78 players from each of the DP World Tour and the Ladies European Tour, all of whom are playing under the same conditions for the same prize-pot, Lombard made six birdies and three bogeys to be in a share of 17th, four shots off the four-way tie for the lead held by Craig Howie of Scotland, Matthieu Pavon of France, Santiago Tarrio of Spain and women’s amateur Carolina Melgrati of Italy. Four players are tied for fifth place including England’s Liz Young and Sweden’s Linn Grant after they both fired rounds of 66.
Justin Walters opened with a two-under-par 70 for a share of 41st with Casandra Alexander, while Darren Fichardt and Nicole Garcia were on one-under in 55th. Thriston Lawrence and Stacy Bregman were on level-par, Richard Sterne was on two-over, Swaziland’s Nobuhle Dlamini on three-over, and Lee-Anne Pace on four-over.
