Levy Off to Good Start in BMW Masters


Alexander Levy carded a 7-under 65 to take the 18-hole lead in the BMW Masters. The first of four tournaments in the European Tour's season-ending "Final Series" started Thursday at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, China.

The 24-year-old, who was born in Orange, Calif., began play on the 10th tee. He carded seven birdies - including five on his front nine - for a one-shot lead over fellow Frenchman Romain Wattel, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo.

Levy has been on a roll this year, with victories in April's China Open and the rain-shortened Portugal Masters three weeks ago. He jokingly believes he has an affinity for golf in China. "I think this country likes me," the told the European Tour's website. "For me, this golf course is pretty much the same as the one where I won in Shenzhen.

"I like this type of golf course with water and the target golf. I enjoy being in China and I'm going to try my best the next few days to do the same things I did in April."

Levy believes that with his friend Wattel, and the up-and-coming Victor Dubuisson - who carded an opening 70, that his country is in a golfing boom period. "No French player has won a major or something like that, but I think we have a good mix between the older generation and young generation," he said.

"Victor played the Ryder Cup this year and I think it showed all the French players it's possible to play a big event like that and be in position to be in the Ryder Cup in France in 2018," added Levy of the biennial competition being held in four years at the Le Golf National in Paris.

"For my part I'm thinking only about that, to be in France in 2018 at Le Golf National, it's an amazing place. I think we will have, I hope, two or three players on the Ryder Cup in 2018. We have a good generation. Every year some French players win and new players come on the European Tour."

Two shots behind Levy in the event is Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who managed to shake off jet lag and record five birdies.

"I got here Tuesday morning and haven't really been feeling my best the last couple of days," said the 35-year-old from Portrush. "It's the first sort of long trip of the year for me and the body took a little bit of time to catch up. Thankfully, I felt much, much better this morning and the energy level has felt good.

"The golf course is fairly soft due to the rain. It's playing very long (7,600 yards), but the greens are very receptive and you can attack a few pins.

"I've had a lot of yardage in my hand most of the day out there. We counted up, I think I had seven iron shots from outside of 200 yards on this golf course. Certainly for a guy like me who doesn't hit it maybe as far as some of the other guys, I have to be precise with my iron play and putt well, and I putted well today. That was one of the keys."

Trailing Levy by three are Germany's Marcel Siem, England's Oliver Wilson, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and South Africans Branden Grace and Richard Sterne.

Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen, who won last week's ISPS Handa Perth International in Australia, recorded a 70.

The low-scoring American after Round 1 was Ryan Palmer, who had a 70, while Chris Kirk, Brooks Koepka and Kevin Stadler all carded 73s.

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2014/tournamentid=2014086/leaderboard/index.html.