Staff WriterThe Dormy Open teed off in Upsala with all the subtlety of a firework factory explosion, as Félix Mory, Baard Skogen, Anders Emil Ejlersen and Alfie Plant all signed for matching eight-under-par 63s at Upsala GolfKlubb.
The quartet sit atop the leaderboard, a single stroke clear of Magnus Haraldur, Toby Hunt and Vince van Veen, after a first round where birdies flowed like Swedish schnapps on midsummer’s eve.
Mory Makes It Look Easy
France’s Félix Mory, currently 12th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, turned a serene Thursday morning into his own private bird sanctuary—collecting six of them along with an eagle, while keeping the dreaded bogey well out of sight.
“I am very happy, it’s always nice to have a low round like this,” he said. “I played well the whole round and didn’t really make any mistakes.
“The calm conditions make it a little easier for everyone. They were soft and there wasn’t any wind. It’s rare, on the HotelPlanner Tour we are always playing in the wind, so it’s nice for a change.”
Skogen Strikes Back
If Mory’s round was smooth jazz, Baard Skogen’s was more heavy metal. The Norwegian bolted out of the blocks with three straight birdies, then caught fire late with four on the trot between holes 14 and 17.
“I am awfully pleased with that opening round,” the 23-year-old said.
“I haven’t played well recently so it was good to get a good round in. I made a lot of putts today which obviously helps.
“I haven’t hit the ball very well recently, so I haven’t put myself in positions to make putts but obviously it helps when the putter is hot.”
Ejlersen’s Free Swing
Denmark’s Anders Emil Ejlersen, starting on the back nine, joined the fun with eight birdies of his own, including a four-pack that closed out his front nine. It was the kind of round that makes you wonder if he’s been secretly practising while pretending not to.
“I haven’t played well for a long time now, but I played well today and holed a lot of putts, which is always a good thing,” said the 26-year-old, who sits 40th on the Nordic Golf League’s Order of Merit.
“I just showed up with no expectations, ready to play and played freely today. We don’t get to play in conditions like this very often so when the weather is like this you simply must take advantage.”
Plant in Bloom
Alfie Plant, 49th in the Rankings and already a two-time winner on the HotelPlanner Tour, staked his claim for number three by firing a blemish-free round of 63. If golf had Yelp reviews, he’d have given Upsala GolfKlubb five stars.
“It was a perfect start,” Plant said. “It was a lovely day out on the course today, the wind was down, and the greens are fantastic, so I really enjoyed myself.
“I holed a lot of putts today which was nice, and I made a couple of good par putts to keep momentum going. Overall, the game was in good shape.”
Chasing Pack
Lurking just two shots back at six under are Spaniard Rocco Repetto Taylor, Welshman Jack Davidson, Italian Filippo Celli, American Matt Sharpstene and the English trio of George Bloor, Jack Floydd and John Gough.
With the weather behaving itself for once, round one of the Dormy Open resembled a putting contest rather than a survival test. Whether conditions remain this hospitable is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: the scoreboard is going to need some extra ink before the weekend.
The second round of the Dormy Open begins Friday morning at 7:30 am local time, and if day one is anything to go by, we’re in for more fireworks than a Swedish New Year’s Eve.
