Nicola Gerhardsen, a 22-year-old amateur from Zurich, played his way into the spotlight on the first day of the Omega European Masters in Crans-Montana.
05.09.2024, 19:45
05.09.2024, 19:58
SDA
In adverse conditions with rain and wind from ever new directions, Gerhardsen managed one of the best rounds of his career. With seven birdies and two bogeys, he remained five strokes under par. He is just two strokes off the lead.
And the other Swiss players? 24-year-old Cedric Gugler from Basel, the best-ranked Swiss player in Crans-Montana a year ago, also managed a round of 65. He also finished in a tie for 7th place. Gugler's strong start to the tournament came as less of a surprise - because he has already won three small tournaments this season and was promoted to the Challenger Tour two months ago.
All the other Swiss players, including Jeremy Freiburghaus (par), Joel Girrbach (1 over par) and Benjamin Rusch (3 over par), who have recently been the most regular players on the big European Tour, will have to improve on Friday. In recent years, they have always needed a score of under par to make the cut.
At the top of the leaderboard after the first 18 holes are Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick, the brother of top favorite Matt Fitzpatrick, and 42-year-old Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia, both seven shots under par. Neither of them has ever won a tournament of this magnitude.
