Haydn Porteous enjoyed a solid start at the BMW International Open to sit three off the pace in a weather-interrupted first round at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried.
Porteous birdied the first and continued his fine play with further gains at five and six. A bogey at the par 3 eighth halted some of his momentum.
He quickly shifted gears with a birdie at the 11th and made it two back nine birdies with another at the 13th before his second and final bogey of the day at the next.
A string of pars left him three back of Italian Andrea Pavan.
Compatriots Erik van Rooyen and Zander Lombard were unfortunately called off the course when the threat of lightning came through the area. The pair were at -2 with six and four holes remaining respectively.
At level par and sharing 59th place was Brandon Stone, who rattled off five birdies but was left to rue a double at his 10th hole which together with a number of bogeys undid his good work.
Martin Kaymer delighted the home fans with a bogey free 67 that left him just one shot off the lead midway through day one of the BMW International Open.
An elite field had gathered at Golfclub München Eichenried and two time Major Champion Kaymer took big crowds with him as he moved to five under, just one shot behind Andrea Pavan.
The Italian had a career best season in 2018, claiming a breakthrough European Tour win at the D+D Real Czech Masters and finishing 34th on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex.
He has yet to register a top ten in 2019 but an opening 66 in Munich represented his best round of the season so far.
Kaymer has four Ryder Cups on his CV and he was joined at five under by 2008 Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson.
Dane Jeff Winther was at four under, a shot clear of a group containing defending champion and World Number 24 Matt Wallace.
Kaymer’s last European Tour victory came at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship but the German is beginning to show signs of the form that made him a Race to Dubai Champion and World Number One.
The 34-year-old claimed the second of his 11 European Tour wins at this event 11 years ago and he was delighting the home crowds again on Thursday.
Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
