In a thrilling start to the KLM Open, Matteo Manassero and Mikko Korhonen have set the pace, both finishing the day at seven under par.
Manassero, fresh off his appearance at the U.S. Open, delivered a flawless performance with a bogey-free 64, capped by two birdies.
Korhonen, adding his own flair, finished with a birdie-birdie flourish and a spectacular hole-in-one, matching Manassero’s score and sharing the early lead.
Matteo Manassero: A Renaissance in the Making
Manassero’s journey is nothing short of inspirational. The Italian prodigy, who became the youngest winner in DP World Tour history, recently secured his fifth DP World Tour title at the Jonsson Workwear Open.
This victory came nearly 14 years after his first, marking a significant comeback.
After a challenging period that saw him step away from the game and return via the European Challenge Tour, Manassero’s performance in the Netherlands is a testament to his resilience.
Despite missing the cut at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club last week, he has bounced back in style, setting a formidable target at The International.
Matteo Manassero: “Very satisfying. It is a tough course so you need to earn a round like this around here and the conditions obviously helped us, the course is firming up so it is playing a little shorter and the wind never really pumped.
So, it was a good day to play some good golf and have a good round but never easy.
“I think I played only two rounds in 2019 and I couldn’t remember that much. I remembered that it was bouncy, I remember some holes and I don’t think the rough was that thick in 19, so the course is playing different and it is playing different in a good way.
“On the weekend I was tired (following the U.S. Open). I didn’t play but it is kind of stressful, and stressful in a good way, because you put all your energy into preparing for the U.S. Open and it beats you up and then you have a drop in adrenalin, so I was a little bit tired, but I am really happy to be playing.
The U.S. Open was a really tough experience, but I want to take it for what it is and reset.”
Mikko Korhonen: A Memorable Comeback
Korhonen’s return to form is equally compelling. The Finnish golfer, making just his third start of the season, had a day to remember.
His ace at the fourth, using an eight iron from 159 yards, was the highlight of his round. Adding two birdies to finish, Korhonen matched Manassero at the summit, one shot ahead of Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino.
Mikko Korhonen: “Speechless. The hole-in-one was a nice little extra there but it was a solid round, everything was pretty solid. Putted well, hit it well off the tee, no complaints.
“It was 145m with an eight iron straight at it. It pitched five or six inches before the hole and one bounce, and then we celebrated.
“I was pretty good off the tee today. I didn’t hit it into the long stuff which was key today.”
The Contenders: Hoshino’s Battle Back
Hoshino’s performance deserves recognition, especially given his recent health struggles.
Playing in only his second event since March after recovering from a collapsed lung, the Japanese golfer showed determination.
Despite bogeying the second and ninth holes, his four birdies, including a near-perfect tee shot at the fourth, kept him in contention, just one shot off the lead.
Chasing Pack: Crocker, Molinari, Morrison, and Norlander
A group of players, including American Sean Crocker, Italian Edoardo Molinari, England’s James Morrison, and Sweden’s Henrik Norlander, are hot on the leaders’ heels, just two shots behind.
Each displayed moments of brilliance and will be looking to close the gap as the tournament progresses.
Noteworthy Performances
English duo Ross Fisher and Callum Shinkwin, Italian Filippo Celli, and Swede Espen Kofstad finished at four under, showcasing the depth of talent in the field.
The excitement didn’t stop there; Malaysia’s Gavin Green joined the ace club with a spectacular five iron from 222 yards at the 17th, adding to the day’s drama.
Looking Ahead
The stage is set for an exciting KLM Open, with Manassero and Korhonen leading the charge.
Their stories of comeback and perseverance add a captivating narrative to the tournament.
As the competition heats up, golf fans are in for a treat, with plenty of action and drama yet to unfold at The International.
Round one scores
64 M MANASSERO (ITA), M KORHONEN (FIN),
65 R HOSHINO (JPN),
66 E MOLINARI (ITA), J MORRISON (ENG), S CROCKER (USA), H NORLANDER (SWE),
67 R FISHER (ENG), F CELLI (ITA), C SHINKWIN (ENG), E KOFSTAD (NOR),
68 G MIGLIOZZI (ITA), A FITZPATRICK (ENG), M SCHMID (GER), M KINHULT (SWE), Z LOMBARD (RSA), L CANTER (ENG), J LUITEN (NED), A PAVAN (ITA), G FDEZ-CASTA?O (ESP), F LAPORTA (ITA), M BALDWIN (ENG),
69 L LIST (USA), T MCKIBBIN (NIR), G GREEN (MAS), M BESARD (BEL), T AIKEN (RSA), R WILLIAMS (RSA), A HIDALGO (ESP), E FERGUSON (SCO), A OTAEGUI (ESP), D FICHARDT (RSA), V VAN VEEN (NED), E PEPPERELL (ENG), M SCHNEIDER (GER), J DE BRUYN (GER), J BLIXT (SWE), C JARVIS (RSA), A DEL REY (ESP), L SCALISE (ITA), F KENNEDY (ENG), J SCHAPER (RSA), N GALLETTI (USA), A AYORA (ESP),
70 W DE VRIES (NED), M WALLACE (ENG), R H?JGAARD (DEN), L KLEIN (AM) (CZE), B RUSCH (SUI), N BACHEM (GER), G WIEBE (USA), F SCHOTT (GER), O STRYDOM (RSA), B WIESBERGER (AUT), M ELVIRA (ESP), S SHARMA (IND), M SOUTHGATE (ENG), M LORENZO-VERA (FRA), J DEAN (ENG), P WARING (ENG), T VAILLANT (FRA), O BEKKER (RSA),
71 J PRINSLOO (RSA), R MANSELL (ENG), J VEERMAN (USA), L VAN MEIJEL (NED), I CANTERO (ESP), A MARTIN (AUS), A WILSON (ENG), L KEUNEN (NED), D RAVETTO (FRA), J FAHRBRING (SWE), L VAN DER VIGHT (AM) (NED),
72 S GARCIA (ESP), N COLSAERTS (BEL), R RAMSAY (SCO), D VAN DRIEL (NED), D WHITNELL (ENG), R CABRERA BELLO (ESP), T LEWIS (ENG), N NORGAARD (DEN), A JOHNSTON (ENG), N VON DELLINGSHAUSEN (GER), K APHIBARNRAT (THA), W ENEFER (ENG), A ARNAUS (ESP), D HUIZING (NED), D WILLETT (ENG), J DONALDSON (WAL), W BESSELING (NED), K BROBERG (SWE), A ROZNER (FRA), M KAWAMURA (JPN), J DAVIDSON (WAL), T CLEMENTS (ENG), B STONE (RSA), J GIRRBACH (SUI), J DANTORP (SWE), K JOHANNESSEN (NOR),
73 T POWER HORAN (AUS), D FRITTELLI (RSA), M ROTTLUFF (GER), S TARRIO (ESP), J HARDING (RSA), A WU (CHN), D BRADBURY (ENG), S FRIEDRICHSEN (DEN), K VAN DER WEELE (NED), A VERDONK (NED), G HURLEY (IRL), R LANGASQUE (FRA), P LARRAZ?BAL (ESP), S MANLEY (WAL), H LI (CHN), A GARCIA-HEREDIA (ESP),
74 J BERRY (ENG), D GAVINS (ENG), M SCHWAB (AUT), S GALLACHER (SCO), T KANAYA (JPN), B REUTER (AM) (NED), R NEERGAARD-PETERSEN (DEN),
75 Y KATSURAGAWA (JPN), J AXELSEN (DEN), J INGHAM (AM) (NED), H BARRON (AUS),
76 M TOOROP (NED), G PORTEOUS (ENG), J KO (FRA), A ETCHENIQUE (FRA), P FIGUEIREDO (POR), M KIEFFER (GER), L RUUSKA (FIN), J GUMBERG (USA), D MOSTERT (RSA), J KRUYSWIJK (RSA), C SORDET (FRA),
77 L DE JAGER (RSA), M ARMITAGE (ENG), P MOOLMAN (RSA), F LACROIX (FRA), H LONG (GER), S BROHOLT LIND (DEN), I GROENENDIJK (AM) (NED),
79 C HANNA (USA), D BROWN (ENG),
80 J WINTHER (DEN),
81 J NICHOLAS (USA), R ENOCH (WAL), R PARATORE (ITA), D MICHELUZZI (AUS),
82 R GOUVEIA (POR), J G?TH-RASMUSSEN (DEN),
83 O CHOUHAN (IND), S JONES (NZL),
**
OUT S S?DERBERG (SWE),
