Jang Igeun Starts Tied 52nd at Even Par... Schwab Leads at 6 Under Par

British Masters Day 1: 4 Birdies and 4 Bogeys, Hill 2nd, Visberger Tied 3rd, Willett Tied 12th

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Jang I-geun (28, Shinhan Financial Group, photo) has had a quiet start.

On the 13th (Korean time), at the Belfry Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, England (par 72, 7,232 yards), the first day of the European Tour British Masters (total prize money ?1.85 million) ended with him unable to reduce his score, placing tied for 52nd. Matthias Schwab (Austria) is leading with 6-under 66, Callum Hill (Scotland) is in second place with 5-under 67, and as many as nine players including Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) are tied for third place at 4-under 68.

Jang I-geun exchanged 4 birdies and 4 bogeys. Starting at the 10th hole, he made his first birdie at the 11th hole (both par 4), added birdies at the 15th and 18th holes, reducing 3 strokes in the front nine and progressing smoothly. However, in the back nine, he faltered with bogeys at the 1st, 5th, and 6th holes, and the birdie at the 8th hole was canceled out by a bogey at the final 9th hole (both par 4). His shot accuracy was shaky, with a fairway hit rate of only 26.7% and a green in regulation rate of 44.4%. Securing a spot in the main round is urgent for him.

Schwab swept up 7 birdies (1 bogey), including 3 consecutive birdies. His putting average of 1.5 putts per hole was outstanding. He is ranked 113th in the world and has yet to win on the European stage. Seven-time European Tour champion Wiesberger is chasing the leader by 2 strokes, joining the competition for the title. Host Danny Willett (England) is tied for 12th place at 3-under 69. World number one Martin Kaymer (Germany) is tied for 94th at 2-over 74.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.