Johan Edfors holds a two-shot lead after equalling the lowest round of the European Tour season on Thursday in the Vivendi Cup.
Swede takes two-shot lead after shooting 61 in Paris
Johan Edfors holds a two-shot lead after equalling the lowest round of the European Tour season on Thursday in the Vivendi Cup.
The Swede shot an 11-under-par 61 on Golf de Joyenval's Marly Course - Edfors' round also knocking two strokes off his best score on the circuit.
He had five birdies in an outward 31 and then started for home with three more birdies and an eagle.
The Tour's first-ever 59 appeared a possibility at that stage, but the former Scottish Open and British Masters champion bogeyed the next before finishing with two more birdies.
Edfors said: "I'm still a little bit disappointed. I don't think I'll ever get a better chance to shoot 59 than I had today.
"I was 10 under with five to go, had 80 metres left on 14 in the middle of the fairway and I three-putted."
He leads David Dixon, who made seven birdies and an eagle on his way to a nine-under 63, with another Englishman, John Parry, on eight-under alongside France's Jean-Francois Remesy.
England's Chris Gane and France's Julien Guerrier were the leading players to tackle the competition's Retz Course. Both shot seven-under 65s to tie for fifth alongside five other players.
Harrington seven shots back
Padraig Harrington also made seven birdies and yet he still found himself seven shots off the lead in Chambourcy, Paris.
The Irishman, who is the only member of Europe's Ryder Cup side in the field after Peter Hanson withdrew with a chest infection, signed for a four-under-par 68 - a score that left him tied for 23rd place.
Originally hoping to be competing for the £7.2million jackpot in this weekend's Tour Championship, Harrington fell out of the FedEx Cup play-offs at the halfway stage and decided instead to head to Europe.
Colin Montgomerie's controversial wildcard pick was three under after six, but mixed three bogeys with his four other birdies playing alongside his older brother Fergal in the pro-am format.
Harrington said: "If I had putted well it would have been a tremendous score - you have to hole putts to shoot a low number.
"I could see the two weeks of practice I've just done and I got stalled over the ball a bit, but another three rounds will do me no end of good."
The field switches lay-outs on Friday before the event drops the amateurs and concludes with two more rounds on the Marly.
