Finn Pulkkanen leads Rose by two shots at Italian Open

Rome: Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen hit five birdies in his opening nine holes to set a blistering pace and top the leaderboard after the first round of the Italian Open on Thursday. The 29-year-old hit seven birdies in total for a bogey-free seven-under-par 64 at the 6.2 million euro ($7m) tournament at the Olgiata Golf Club in Rome. South African-born Rory Sabbatini, now competing for Slovakia, is one shot off the lead, with England’s former world number one Justin Rose among a group of five two shots behind after a round of 66. “I feel like my putter was really hot today, I didn’t make any bogeys so it was really good. I feel like I can make some birdies this weekend,” said Pulkkanen, whose only win was a second-tier Challenger Tour event two years ago. “My first year was a learning year and second year I feel more comfortable. “I haven’t played that well in the Rolex (Series) tournaments so it’s a kind of a new situation as well, there’s a long way to go but I feel good about my game.” Home hope Francesco Molinari, bidding for his third Italian Open title, hit a level-par 71, along with England’s Paul Casey. British Open winner Shane Lowry of Ireland slipped to a one-over-par 72. The tournament is making its return to Rome after a 17-year absence from the Italian capital which will host the 2022 Ryder Cup at the nearby Marco Simone club. — AFP