Ugo Coussaud gave himself a perfect birthday present by ensuring he will wake up on Friday sharing the lead in the 2025 Open de España presented by Madrid.
The Frenchman, on his final day as a 32-year-old, shot 65 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid and was out on his own until Sam Bairstow matched that score with almost the final shot of Thursday’s play.
They were one shot ahead of Frederic Lacroix, Marco Penge and Bernd Wiesberger.
Tom McKibbin is the best of the Irish so far on level par 71 while Shane Lowry can be forgiven for having a Ryder Cup hangover after a four over 75.
Conor Purcell has a mountain to climb and then some to make the cut in the third to last regular event of the season. He props up the field on ten over.
Coussaud’s round featured eagles at the 14th, thanks to a 20-foot putt, and the fourth.
Starting from the tenth, he responded to a dropped shot at the 12th with the first of those eagles and then a birdie at the par-three 17th for an outward nine of 33.
He birdied the third and immediately put a second eagle on his card and, despite a bogey at the sixth, he bounced back with two successive birdies – the last coming via a stunning escape from trees down the left of the eighth.
“It was a great day,” he said. “Many, many great shots close to the pin – especially on the two par-fives, and I made the two good putts – so just a great day.
“I had a few bad shots as well but I recovered quite nicely so I’m very happy with today.”
Bairstow also eagled the fourth in an otherwise quiet front nine before his round burst dramatically into life at the ninth.
The English left-hander had only two more pars from that point forward, alternating birdies and bogeys from the ninth to the 12th and then birdieing four of his last five holes to join Coussaud on six under.
“I think coming in, the focus was on getting finished because of the dark so to finish with a few birdies there was great,” Bairstow said.
“I played here for the first time last year and I loved it. The last few weeks are great for the English and the European lads because they’re all close to home, they’re all good events, so I think the Back 9’s obviously doing what it should be doing and producing great events.”
Coussaud’s start was in contrast to last year’s visit, when he started with a 76 before two 68s and a 69 saw him recover to three under and a top-30 finish.
“It’s a tricky course, I think you need to know it a little bit to play it properly,” he said.
“I just have it a little more now in my eyes and I know how to shape the ball on which holes. I did it quite okay today so I just hope to do as good tomorrow.”
Penge started with a back nine of 32, with birdies at the 12th, 14th and 15th. He dropped a shot at the first but responded with an eagle at the fourth, a 331-yard drive followed by an approach to two feet, then birdied the seventh and eighth before a closing bogey.
Lacroix, also starting from the tenth, was one over after two holes but responded with three birdies on his outward nine and three more after the turn. Wiesberger, among the later starters, had five birdies in a bogey-free round.
Lacroix said: “It was just a solid round, tried to stay in the fairway, stayed out of trouble most of the time and had a few opportunities on the par-fives – a few good putts dropped and that was it.
“At some point it had to come together. I’ve been waiting for this a little bit this season – we’ll see how it goes this week but it’s nice, yeah.”
Angel Ayora was the leading Spaniard, the 21-year-old on four under with the highlight of his round a tap-in eagle at the seventh. He was alongside Grant Forrest, Alexander Levy, Dan Bradbury and Aaron Cockerill.
Angel Hidalgo, the 2024 champion on home soil, opened his defence with a one-under-par 70. Jon Rahm, whom Hidalgo beat in a play-off 12 months ago, was one over despite chipping in from a bunker to eagle the 14th
