Staff WriterThe Interwetten Open may have been battered by lightning and stretched longer than a family reunion gone wrong, but Sam Jones proved to be the calm in the storm—and the man to catch.
The 29-year-old from New Zealand opened his campaign at Schladming-Dachstein Golf Club with a sparkling seven-under-par 62, giving him a one-shot lead after a weather-soaked first round.
Jones’ day began like something out of a golfer’s dream journal—eagle at the first, a couple of birdies, and a lone bogey before the heavens cracked open and delayed play for over five hours.
When the thunder finally retreated and golf resumed, Jones wasted no time. The softened greens welcomed him back like an old friend, and he promptly added four more birdies to his scorecard to lead the Interwetten Open heading into round two.
“It was really good today,” said Jones, in the sort of understated fashion one expects from a man who just blitzed a championship layout in a downpour. “I hit a lot of quality shots, and my putter has been feeling good recently. I managed to roll in a few nice ones to finish and it’s nice to put down a good score early on in the tournament.”
He made it sound like a leisurely stroll through the Austrian countryside. In truth, it was a masterclass in managing chaos—weather delays, momentum swings, and the pressure of early leaderboard attention.
“I just tried to go out there and play golf again after the delay. I hit a few balls on the range and the body was feeling good,” he added. “This golf course really suits me because there’s a bit more room and I can get out there and hit my driver hard and give myself some good birdie opportunities.”
If that sounds like the musings of a man who knows where his game is at, that’s because he does. Currently 24th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, Jones has been putting together a tidy season, and he knows what’s required to climb higher.
“I had a strong start to the season and those finishes have put me in a good position,” he said. “My game has been inconsistent of late, but I know I just need a few good weeks, and I can break into that top 20. Hopefully I can get a win at some point this season because that is another one of my goals.”
Standing one shot behind are Sweden’s David Lundgren and England’s Bradley Bawden—both carding six-under rounds of their own before darkness drew the curtain on a long and unpredictable opening day.
Chasing at five under are six players in a logjam for fourth: local favourite Maximilian Steinlechner, Spain’s Javier Sainz, Switzerland’s Cedric Gugler, Italy’s Filippo Celli, Denmark’s Sebastian Friedrichsen, and Frenchman Nathan Legendre.
Round one of the Interwetten Open was officially suspended due to darkness at 8:50 pm local time, with play set to resume at 8 am tomorrow.
With the forecast promising clearer skies, and the leaderboard tighter than a tour van sandwich at lunch hour, the second act promises drama, movement—and hopefully less thunder.
But for now, the spotlight belongs to Sam Jones, who rode the storm and came out grinning.
