4-way tie for lead at Euro Tour's Trophee Hassan II (Apr 13, 2017)
RABAT, Morocco (AP) Gary Stal, Gregory Havret, James Morrison, and Lucas Bjerregaard made 3-under-par 70s to share the lead after the first round of the European Tour's Trophee Hassan II in Morocco on Thursday.
Stal was the early pacesetter while Havret and Morrison also made five birdies and two bogeys to be part of the leading group at the Royal Dar Es Salam club.
Bjerregaard's adventurous round included an eagle, six birdies, and five bogeys.
Former Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari birdied his last two holes to move a shot off the lead. He was one of nine players on 2 under and just a shot behind. Another of those chasers was Alexander Levy, who finished with a birdie, then an eagle after holing his approach, and then a three-putt bogey.
On a day where scoring wasn't easy and no one shot lower than 70, 52 players were on level par or better and within three shots of the lead. The European Tour said it was the first round in 57 rounds so far this season where no player broke 70.
Stal has just one tour victory, the 2015 Abu Dhabi Championship where he won ahead of Rory McIlroy, but he set the clubhouse target despite a bogey on his final hole.
Englishman James Heath's 4-over 77 was unremarkable except for his experience on No. 17, where he decided to remove his trousers, shoes, and socks to play a chip out of shallow water in shirt, cap, and underwear. He made bogey.
