Power of Caring
  presented by CIGNA

Swede start

Record 62 gives Lanner early lead at Italian Open

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Thursday April 29, 1999 08:10 PM

Lee Janzen opened with an eagle on the first hole but wound up shooting a steady par 72. Paul Severn/Allsport

TURIN, Italy (AP) -- Mats Lanner, owner of one European PGA Tour victory in the past four years, fired a course record 10-under-par 62 Thursday to take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Fiat and Fila Italian Open.

Reigning major titlists Jose Maria Olazabal (U.S. Masters) and Lee Janzen (U.S. Open) were unable to tame the 6,947-yard CircoloGolf course and were far back in the pack.

Lanner's 17-year career has been steady, though decidedly not spectacular. He has won three European PGA events -- the 1987 Epson Grand Prix, and the Madeira Island Open in 1994 and 1998 -- and has had just three top-10 finishes in 43 tournaments over the past three years.

But the tall Swede was nearly perfect Thursday, getting to 4-under after just three holes thanks to an eagle and a pair of birdies. He added birdies at Nos. 6, 7, 9, 12, 13 and 14 to match his career low round.

Lanner bettered the course record of 65, set in 1965 by Alfonso Angelini during the Turin Open.

Another Swede, Per Nyman, was at 7-under, to share second place with England's Gary Evans. Defending hampion Patrik Sjoland was in a group of four players at 5-under.

Italian Open Leaderboard Place Name Score 1 2 2 4 4 6 6 6 6 10 10 10 10 10 10 Mats Lanner Per Nyman Gary Evans Russell Claydon Cooper, Derrick Stephen Gallacher Francisco Cea Peter Mitchell Patrik Sjoland Jean Van De Velde Francis Valera David Carter Padraig Harrington Greg Turner Miguel Angel Jiminez -10 -7 -7 -6 -6 -5 -5 -5 -5 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4

Olazabal, who missed the cut last week at the Spanish Open, carded a 71. Janzen opened with an eagle on the first hole but was undone with back-to-back bogeys at 10 and 11, and wound up shooting a steady par 72.

Two other multiple major winners in the field also had mediocre days. Bernhard Langer, twice a victor in Italy, and former Ryder Cup captain Seve Ballesteros, who's been battling knee problems, were both nine strokes off the lead.

Light rain briefly hit the course, just outside the industrial city of Turin, in the afternoon, but play was not halted. Last year's tournament was cut to 54 holes because of downpours.

 

Related information
Stories
Olazabal looking to regain touch in Italy
Multimedia
Click here for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.