Italian Open Day 1

Will it be a three-peat for Belgium as Niccolas Colsaerts blew away the field at the Italian Open? His 63 included 8 consecutive birdies. While scores were good around the Golf Club Milano, Nicky C holds a two shot lead. After being upstaged by Thomas Pieters over the the last couple of weeks, it’s time for the original Belgian Bomber to stand up and be counted. 

Taking advantage of the pick and place rules, Colsaerts who started on the back 9, got on his run at the 14th and birdied all the way through to third. A 20 footer on the fourth slipped by to break the run. It makes it much easier when you average 316 yards off the tee. 

"It all felt pretty easy to be fair.We all know what it's like when you get on fire and keep going. I did not know how many it was; at one stage I started counting and stopped at six.

"It did feel like you could birdie every hole because I was playing nicely. I only holed a very long one on the second, which was my 11th, but all the others were very makable."

Local hero Francesco Moinari shot a 65 after being out for a couple of weeks following the birth of his second child. Kristopher Broburg who lost out to David Horsey at the recently at the Made in Denmark event also shot a 65.