GOLF: Anders Hansen continued the purple patch of Denmark's golfers by claiming a share of second place after the first round of the Italian Open in Rome.
Hansen broke the 34-year-old course record with an eight under par 64, but saw it matched by Miles Tunnicliff and then smashed by Ian Poulter.
Poulter carded a brilliant 61 and came to the final two holes needing to birdie them both to achieve the first ever 59 on the European Tour, but had to settle for pars.
Padraig Harrington's 71 left him with plenty to do to achieve the top four finish he needs to overhaul Retief Goosen at the top of the European Order of Merit.
Harrington, who cancelled a planned holiday in Marbella this week in his attempt to become the European number one, struggled with his putting and said: "I missed a few chances early on and let it get to me.
"My expectations were high and I made it hard on myself. I was probably trying a bit too hard. I've left myself plenty to do for sure but there are hopefully 54 holes to go and a lot of the tournament left."
Poulter, meanwhile, enjoyed a three-shot lead over Hansen and Tunnicliff, with six players two shots further back on six under at the Olgiata Golf Club on the outskirts of Rome.
Hansen is one of four Danish golfers to win on the European Tour this year - the others are Soren Hansen, Thomas Bjorn and Steen Tinning - and is looking to make it back to back triumphs after Tinning's victory in Madrid on Sunday.
Poulter's 61 puts him in pole position to regain the title he won in 2000 but he added: "I thought a 59 was definitely on. I made a good birdie on the ninth to be six under and thought, 'wouldn't it be great to see my mug all over the back pages with 59 next to it?'.
"But I've never been as nervous as I was standing on the 17th tee trying to get a good drive away - not even in the two tournaments I've won - and unfortunately I didn't."
Poulter pushed his drive to the right of the fairway on the 518-yard par five and found his route to the green blocked by trees. "Even Seve couldn't get it on the green from there," he added.
His third shot finished 30 feet from the hole and after charging his birdie attempt five feet past he did well to hole for par.
A birdie on the last would have equalled the lowest ever score on the European tour but another long-range effort missed.
"I had four putters in my bag until 15 minutes before I teed off today and eventually decided to use one of the two I borrowed from Justin Rose's locker. He can have it back on Monday but he's not getting it back this week."
Marbella-based Englishman Tunnicliff secured an emotional maiden tour victory earlier this year in the Great North Open just a fortnight after his mother Pam died of cancer, and another win here would go a long way to erasing the disappointment over his recent disqualification from the Dunhill Links championship.
"I was disqualified for taking a wrong drop, I took an unplayable lie in a bunker and dropped it out of the hazard but you had to drop it in," Tunnicliff explained. "It was a shame because I was playing lovely and I was lying top 10 there in the biggest tournament of the year.
"Five minutes after I signed my card the lady scorer came in and said I had taken a wrong drop, which was nice of her.
"It was my fault, of course, considering I took the wrong drop, but it would have been nice if she said something after I shook her hand as we finished. Five minutes later she came in and shopped me."
This event is the final chance for players to climb into the top 115 on the Order of Merit and secure their card for next season, and England's Philip Golding, in 122nd position, gave his hopes of avoiding a 16th trip to the qualifying school a boost with his 66.
That was good enough for a six-way share of fourth place - along with Paul Lawrie, Patrik Sjoland, Emanuele Canonica, Gary Orr and Jarrod Moseley.
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