Francesco Laporta carded a low-round 62 at Golf Costa Adeje to secure the day-one lead at the 2021 Canary Islands Championship.
The 30-year old Italian made birdies on 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9 to turn in 30, and after a lone bogey on No. 10, Laporta reeled off a four-hole stretch of eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie en route to a career low round.
“It was one of those days when everything goes in the right direction,” said Laporta, a two-time winner on the European Challenge Tour.
“I started thinking about 59 also, when I was nine under through 14.
“I wasn’t so lucky on the last hole, my drive went into the trees. But I’m still nine under so I’m pretty happy about the round.
“You start to feel a bit of pressure when you start to think about a 59 but then you just need to concentrate on your game and try to do your best.”
Home favorite Scott Fernandez was just one back after a scintillating round of 63, which included a four-birdie finish to secure the silver spot.
Two more Spaniards in Adri Arnaus and Alfredo Garcia-Heredia were 7 under alongside Frenchman Joel Stalter.
Rhys Enoch eagled two of his first three holes and was 8 under after eight but struggled down the stretch to finish 6-under 65. The Welshman was part of a 10-player logjam, tied for sixth-place.
2021 Canary Islands Championship
Top-5 Leaders: Round 1
Pos-Player-To Par-(Rd 1)
1. Francesco Laporta -9 (62)
2. Scott Fernandez -8 (63)
3. Adri Arnaus -7 (64)
3. Alfredo Garcia-Heredia -7 (64)
3. Joel Stalter -7 (64)
Material from the European Tour Communications was used to compile this report.
