Golf: Scahill fires 5-under par at Dutch Open

1.00pm

HILVBERSUM, NETHERLANDS - Golfers don't often walk from the course feeling dissatisfied by shooting a round of five-under-par 65.

But that's how New Zealander Stephen Scahill felt here today after trailing Englishman David Lynn by two strokes in the opening round of the 1.2 million euro ($2.27 million) Dutch Open.

Lynn's round of 63 included just 24 putts while another Englishman, Andrew Raitt, was second on 64 while Australia's Richard Green, Ireland's Paul McGinley and Austria's Martin Wiegele joined Scahill on 65.

Scahill felt something extraordinary may unfold when he birdied his first five holes by posting four threes and a two.

But he stumbled in the middle of his round, taking a bogey at the ninth and then thinning an eight iron second shot at the par-four 11th that travelled less than 50m.

He managed to save his par on that hole and birdied the 12th before recording six successive pars.

Scahill's frustration was obvious as he headed to the scorer's hut.

"I was just trying to birdie every hole and while it was frustrating somewhat not to improve on being five under after five," he said.

"I had a chance at the last but I was a little concerned about hitting my chip too hard and I just thinned it a bit.

"But then you are not going to make every up and down."

Scahill, 34, is still searching for his maiden win after nearly five years on the European Tour.

"I got off to a cracking start to put myself in a great position for the rest of the round," he said.

"It is hard to maintain that sort of pace so I just tried to play sensible golf from there on in and pick them off where I could."

- NZPA