By ,
Published February 05, 2015
Farso, Denmark (SportsNetwork.com) - Local favorite Thomas Bjorn was among three players to card a 5-under 66 on Thursday and he shares the lead after the opening round of the inaugural Made in Denmark.
Felipe Aguilar and Bradley Dredge also shot a 66 to join Bjorn on top of the leaderboard at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort.
Bjorn and Aguilar each have a win this season, while Dredge is seeking his first victory since the 2006 Omega European Masters.
Thorbjorn Olesen carded a 2-under 69 to sit alone in fourth place.
Peter Lawrie, Nicolas Colsaerts, Sihwan Kim, Daniel Gaunt, S.S.P. Chowrasia, Andrew Marshall, Andreas Harto, Roope Kakko and Philip Archer are tied for fifth after matching 1-under 70s.
Bjorn was the lone member of the leaders to post a bogey-free round and he opened his day with four straight pars before rolling in back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th.
He later converted another pair of gains at the third and fourth to reach 4- under. After parring the next four holes, he picked up another shot at the eighth to move to 5-under and parred the ninth to end there.
"It was a tricky day today with the wind, especially on my back nine. But I drove the ball really well and that gives you opportunities on this golf course," said Bjorn. "There are a couple of holes out there you have to be careful and be happy to walk off with par. I put in a nice effort today."
Aguilar followed a pair of opening pars with a bogey at the 12th to fall to 1- over. He battled back with consecutive birdies at the 15th and 16th, but then bogeyed the 18th to make the turn at even par.
The Chilean caught fire during his inward nine to earn his share of the lead as he converted five birdies in a 6-hole stretch from the third to race to 5- under.
"It was pretty solid today. I played quite well, especially on my back nine, which was the front. It was tough conditions and I'm really pleased the way I played," Aguilar said.
Dredge also started on the back nine and birdied the 17th among eight pars to make the turn at 1-under.
A bogey at the second dropped him back to even par, but he rebounded with three straight birdies from the third to move to 3-under.
He closed his round with gains at the seventh and ninth to earn his share of the lead.
"I'm pretty pleased with that. Only one bogey and six birdies. If someone offered me 66 before I went out I would certainly have bitten their hand off," stated Dredge. "It's nice when you start getting your irons shots in closer and rattling some putts in. I holed a nice 30-foot putt on the last, which was a nice way to finish."
Olesen had a birdie on each of his front and back nines among 16 pars to end three shots off the pace.
NOTES: Bjorn earned his 15th career win on the European Tour at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in December and Aguilar picked up his second tour victory at The Championship at Laguna National in May ... Aguilar is making his first start since the Scottish Open in July ... Winds reached as high as 25 mph during the first round.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/three-share-lead-in-denmark