The German golfers got off to a good start on the DP World Tour. Above all, Yannik Paul and Alexander Knappe were convincing.
Seven German players are in action this week on the DP World Tour. None of them had to score a round over par to start the Thailand Classic. With Yannik Paul and Alexander Knappe there are even two players in the top 3. A successful start for the German golfers. Two Scandinavians share the lead after day 1.
Three German Eagles – Yannik Paul and Alexander Knappe on fire
Yannik Paul got off to a near-perfect start at Amata Spring Country Club and is 3rd on the leaderboard after 18 holes. The German managed a birdie eagle start, which put a lot of pressure on his opponent right from the start. After another shot win on hole 4 and his second eagle of the day on the seventh hole, Paul was already six under par: “The chip-in on hole 2 and the long putt on hole 7 obviously helped me – that’s a bonus,” said a happy player Paul himself after his round. A bogey birdie finish in the front nine initially didn’t change his halftime score.
He also got off to a good start on the back nine and booked back-to-back birdies right from the start. However, a stroke loss on lane 14 threw him back one place because the Finn Sami Välimäki continued to shoot clean. Paul was nevertheless satisfied with his opening lap and was even happy about the windy conditions: “It was a bit windy today, but that helped us to keep a cool head. I was also able to wear shorts and can’t wait to play again tomorrow.” . With 65 shots, Paul is currently tied for third place (-7).
Alexander Knappe had an equally good start in Bangkok: Birdie-Eagle-Birdie was his record after three holes. Knappe, who started on hole 10, had to make a bogey on the 14th hole, but didn’t let that deter him. Two more birdies on holes 16 and 17 slowly but surely pushed him up the leaderboard and he was also able to confirm his good performance in the second half of the course. A birdie-birdie start speaks for the good form of the Paderborner. He then shot clean and, like Yannik Paul, has a score of -7.
Only Sami Välimäki and Martin Simonsen were better on the first day in Thailand. The former managed a clear round peppered with eight birdies. With only 64 strokes, the Finn goes into day two as a shared leader, but is modest: “I had a good round with some great putts, but I’m not thinking about what might come, I’m concentrating on the here and now” . The opening lap in Bangkok also went almost perfectly for Simonsen. Seven birdies, one eagle and just one bogey were on the Norwegian’s scorecard at the end of the day.
DP World Tour: The other Germans also started well
In addition to the high-flyers Paul and Knappe, the remaining German golfers also got off to a good start in Thailand. Neither of them had to record a round over par. With 68 strokes, Nick Bachem secured a shared 17th place after the first round. The 23-year-old made five birdie holes in the first nine holes, but also suffered two bogeys. However, in the second half of the course, the shot gains kept the upper hand and Bachem got two more birdies with only one bogey. Scoring four under par, Bachem played a good first round at Amata Spring Country Club and is temporarily at T17.
Marcel Siem and Marcel Schneider also made it into the top 50 at the beginning. Both played a 69 on Thursday and are therefore clearly on course for the weekend (T33). Siem managed a clear round. Starting on lane 10, he holed three times in a row for a birdie and then remained without any problems. Three under par is on his scorecard at the end of the day. Marcel Schneider was just as successful, but offered a little more variety on his round. He also started the first round on hole 10 and recorded three birdies with a bogey on the first half of the course. This also includes the island green on hole 17, which can only be reached by boat.
On the back nine, two more stroke wins saw him move up the leaderboard and nearly snatched a top 20 finish. However, a bogey on the last hole of the day caused a slight setback. Still, a solid round from the two Marcels at the Thailand Classic 2023.
For Freddy Schott and Hurly Long it was only enough for an even par round at the start in Thailand. Both came back from the course with a target of 72 strokes and initially shared 83rd place. In addition to four birdies, Schott recorded just as many bogeys, while Long came back from the course with three shot wins and losses. However, there is still a chance of making it into the weekend on the second day.
Source: Golf Post
