Shaw, McGee and Kilpatrick start well in Belgium
Jeff Winther. Picture: Getty Images
Gareth Shaw and Ruaidhri McGee continued their run of form as Denmark’s Jeff Winther made a flying start to the KPMG Trophy in Belgium.
Winther shot a seven under par 65 to lead by two shots from a group of five players - Englishman Gary Boyd, Spaniard Agustin Domingo, Frenchman Edouard Dubois, Sweden’s Jacob Glennemo and Dutchman Taco Remkes.
Shaw is just three shots back in a share of seventh after a four under 66 that threatened to be turn into something really special after the Lurgan man turned in five under 31.
Either way, it’s a good start for Shaw, who has now shot in the 60s in six of his last nine rounds.
McGee, who is ninth in the money list, posted a three under 69 to share 13th with Richard Kilpatrick taking advantage of a rare Challenge Tour start with an eagle-birdie finish leaving him nicely place in side the top 20 after at two under 70.
Stephen Grant (74), David Rawluk (75) and Cian Curley (76) have work to do to make the cut while McGeady faces an impossible task after an 82.
Belgian Thomas Pieters did not have the homecoming he had hoped for, carding a four over par 76 in his first competitive appearance on home soil since 2008.
The 23 year old European Tour player had three bogeys and a double in his opening nine holes, but rallied after the turn and came home in one under par.
Round 1 scores:
65 J Winther (Den),
67 J Glennemo (Swe), A Domingo (Esp), T Remkes (Ned), E Dubois (Fra), G Boyd (Eng),
68 P Whiteford (Sco), E Bertheussen (Nor), M Röhrig (Ger), J Maw (Eng), Z Lombard (RSA), Gareth Shaw (Nir),
69 Ruaidhri McGee (Irl), S Heisele (Ger), P Doherty (Sco), J Watts (Eng), L Corfield (Eng), S Einhaus (Ger),
70 M Dobias (Sui), J Billing (Swe), A Romano (Ita), A Snobeck (Fra), J Garcia Del Moral (Esp), J Lima (Por), O Bekker (RSA), G Drakeford (Aus), Richard Kilpatrick (Nir), T Lawrence (RSA), P Dwyer (Eng), J Colegate (Eng),
71 J Rask (Swe), Z Scotland (Eng), B Hafthorsson (Isl), D Frittelli (RSA), M Trappel (Aut), D Kemmer (USA), S Jeppesen (Swe), M Lafeber (Ned), W Besseling (Ned), A Björk (Swe), N Kimsey (Eng), J Wilson (Aus), J McLeary (Sco), S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp), P Howard (Eng), C Russo (Fra), J Heath (Eng), A Eckhardt (Fin),
72 J Lucquin (Fra), D Ulrich (Sui), S Gros (Fra), P Tarver-Jones (Eng), T Gornik (Slo), A Rai (Eng), J Smith (Eng), J Harrison (Eng), S Hodgson (Eng), G Porteous (Eng), B Stone (RSA), J Cafourek (Cze), T Tree (Eng), B Hemstock (Eng),
73 G Houston (Wal), T Sluiter (Ned), B Parker (Eng), R Davies (Wal), V Simoni (Fra), M Fenasse (Fra), A Kaleka (Fra), R Enoch (Wal), A Gee (Eng), C Brazillier (Fra), L Goddard (Eng), J Robinson (Eng),
74 T Linard (Fra), B Etchart (Esp), G Murray (Sco), J Kunzenbacher (Ger), B Stow (Eng), A Gabella (Sui), J Simon De Miguel (Esp), Stephen Grant (Irl), T Elissalde (Fra), N Elvira (Esp), C Mivis (Bel), A Hartø (Den) , D Markle (Can) , S Walker (Eng) , S Tiley (Eng) , O Stark (Swe) , M Orrin (Eng)
75 P Relecom (Bel), M Rocchi (Fra), David Rawluk (Irl), N Kristensen (Den), K Hesbois (Bel), F Laporta (Ita), O Lieser (Cze), A Halvorsen (Nor), S Echikson (Bel), P Figueiredo (Por), M Kramer (Ger), D Huizing (Ned), S Piaget (Mon), M Rominger (Sui), F Calmels (Fra),
76 H Joannes (Bel), Cian Curley (Irl), J Gallegos (Esp), M Southgate (Eng), T Pieters (Bel), F Becker (Ger), C Hanson (Eng), M Søgaard (Den), C Aguilar (Esp), O Henningsson (Swe), B Chapellan (Fra), A Altuntas (am) (Tur),
77 B Paolini (USA), R Pugh (Wal), G Watremez (Bel), K Benz (Sui), D Vancsik (Arg), M Vyncke (Bel), D Perrier (Fra), J Rutherford (Eng), H Bacher (Aut), X Ruiz Fonhof (Ned), J Doherty (Sco), D Foos (Ger) , K Subregis (Fra) , M De Craecker (am) (Bel)
78 A Rota (Ita), L Canter (Eng), R Hahn (Hun), G Parker (Eng), A De Bondt (am) (Bel),
79 J Stalter (Fra), G Pinto (Por), A Langenaeken (Bel), A Dumont (Bel), Y Van Doren (am) (Bel),
80 R Lenahan (USA), S Whiffin (Eng), R Megens (Bel), J Carlota (Por),
81 D Osorio (Esp), D Suchan (Cze), C Van Wassenhove (am) (Bel),
82 C Suk (Cze), Michael McGeady (Irl),
83 G Seegmuller (Bel),
84 D De Vooght (Bel),
88 B Bojesen (am) (Den),
RET J Elson (Eng), N Raymond (Eng),
