New Zealand golfers Sam Jones and Daniel Hillier have made solid starts to the latest DP World Tour event in Spain.
Both golfers are within six strokes of the lead after the opening round of the Open de España at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid on Thursday (Friday NZ Time).
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Tour rookie Jones, 28, carded a two-under 69, which featured five birdies and three bogeys, while Hillier, 26, managed an even-par 71, which included four birdies and four bogeys.
Starting on the first hole, Jones made four birdies and two bogeys on an eventful front-nine. He birdied the second, fourth, fifth and eighth, with bogeys at the first and sixth.
A birdie-bogey start to his back-nine gave way to seven straight pars to sit in a tie for eighth, four strokes behind the leader, Spaniard Angel Hidalgo.
Beginning at the 10th, Hillier made two birdies (11th and 17th) and three bogeys (12th, 15th and 16th) on the back-nine, before two birdies and a bogey on the homeward-nine to sit in a share of 29th.
Jones, currently 147th in the Road to Dubai Rankings, needs a strong finish to the season to pick up roughly 30 spots to retain his Tour card in 2025, while Hillier, currently 95th, is trying to make a push into the top-70 to qualify for the DP World Tour playoffs.
Jones will tee off his second round on Friday from the 10th tee at 10.20am local time (8.20pm NZT), while Hillier will go off from the first at 3pm local (1am Saturday NZT).
Meanwhile, Momoka Kobori is tied for 50th after a two-over 73 in the first round of the Ladies European Tour's Ladies Open de France on Thursday (Friday NZT).
The 25-year-old Cantabrian had a good round going with birdies at the 11th and 17th, after starting her round on the 10th. However, she double-bogeyed the first and bogeyed the second and ninth to sit seven shots off the pace.
Kobori will tee off her second round on Friday from the first hole at 12.39pm local time (10.39pm NZT), needing a strong round to make the 36-hole cut.
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