Clarke Lutton shook off an early stumble to hit the front with an eventful five-under 67 on the opening day of MENA Tour’s Golf Citizen Classic at The Els Club on Monday.
The Scotsman made six birdies and one eagle against one bogey and a double in his lowest round on the Tour to edge ahead by one shot over Czech Republic’s Cyril Suk.
Germany’s Aaron Leitmannstetter was solo third a further shot behind, while an 11-man group logjammed the tied fourth place at twounder par 70, including Scotland’s Paul Doherty, the current Order of Merit leader, and Slovakia young amateur prodigy Jakub Hrinda.
“The front nine was quite eventful. I did everything possible I could do, running up a double bogey, bogey, birdie and eagle.
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That eagle on the par-5 fifth kind of got me going and things fell into place thereafter,” said Clarke, who smashed his 3-wood from 241 yards to within 10 feet and holed the putt.
"This is my home course and local knowledge did come in handy as the round grew older. I may not have done anything special out there, but it was quite a steady round, probably my best on the Tour.”
Czech Republic’s Suk flew off the blocks in style, reaching four-under par after five holes, thanks to an eagle on the fifth before making the turn at three-under par.
Suk, winner of the 2014 Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open, bogeyed 10 and 16, but a birdie-birdie finish ensured he stayed in contention going into the penultimate round.
England’s Zane Scotland, who made it to the second stage of the European Tour Q-School last week, returned a 71 while compatriot Miles Tunnicliff, a two-time winner on the European Tour, carded a two-under par 70.
