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Sullivan shares lead after career-best card

Maderia Island Open: Welshman Kyron Sullivan fired the best round of his career to share the lead after the first round of the…

Fri Apr 08 2005 - 01:00

Maderia Island Open: Welshman Kyron Sullivan fired the best round of his career to share the lead after the first round of the Madeira Island Open yesterday. Sullivan carded six birdies and an eagle in a flawless eight-under-par 64, storming home in just 30 shots at Santo da Serra.

Course record-holder Stephen Scahill continued his love affair with the course, the Kiwi also round in 64 after matching Sullivan's haul of six birdies and an eagle.

English duo Richard McEvoy and Matthew Morris shared third place a shot behind with five more players a shot further back on six under, including England's Gary Emerson and Austria's Markus Brier who fired a hole-in-one on the fourth.

Kilkenny's Gary Murphy was four shots off the pace after firing a 68, one shot ahead of compatriots Peter Lawrie and David Higgins who carded 69s. Next best of the seven-strong Irish contingent was Damien McGrane who shot a level par 72.

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Sullivan narrowly failed to earn his tour card from the Challenge Tour last season and then missed out on the qualifying school after breaking his elbow. "I fell off one of those large exercise balls and broke my elbow and couldn't touch a club for two months," said the 28-year-old from Cardiff. "After a good year on the Challenge Tour I was really disappointed I couldn't go to the school or play in the three big events in Mexico, Panama and Peru in November and December."

Sullivan is becoming something of a specialist in these co-sanctioned events between the Challenge and European Tours, however, leading after the first round in St Omer and finishing third in the BMW Russian Open last season.

"You have to try and peak for these ones and treat them as majors," added Sullivan. "If you can do well in these events you can go a long way to getting your card."

Scahill set the course record of 61 in 1998, and admitted it briefly crossed his mind after racing to the turn in 30 shots.

Starting from the 10th, Scahill holed his approach to his opening hole from 95 yards, then carded three birdies in a row and also birdied 18.