Qatar Open: German Siem takes early lead

German Marcel Siem, a four-time European Tour winner, sits atop the pro section leaderboard at the end of the first round of the Qatar Open Amateur Golf Championship at the Doha Golf Club (DGC).

Yesterday, the first day of the three-day championship, the 39-year-old shot eight under 64.
England’s Brandon Robinson Thompson is two-strokes behind the leader.

American Kevin Esteve is at the third place and another German Max Schmitt is at fourth place, while South African Bryce Easton and Swedish golfer Niklas Lemke are joint fifth with four others at the end of the first round.

The German, who lost full eligibility to play on the European Tour last season, was on fire at the DGC.
“It was a little windy in the afternoon, but it was calmer in the morning. Overall the conditions were very nice.

Usually greens are a little firmer during the Qatar Masters, but here they were a bit softer. Roughs are also not as high as usual… It played a little easier today. So overall it was a bit easier.,” Siem said while talking to journalists..

Siem disqualified himself from the French Open last October after he thought that preferred lies were in place for the opening round.

The German lifted, cleaned and placed his ball five times on the front nine at Le Golf National, incurring a two-shot penalty for each infraction. Prior to the penalty strokes, he had shot 1-over 37 across the opening nine holes.

“I am happy with my score. But I don’t know what’s coming. I have a good finish in the last few holes. I am happy with the score.

But as we all know, this course is always difficult to play and still we have two days to go, so we have to be a little careful,” he said.

Talking about his disqualification and his fight to be back on the tour, he said: “It was a costly mistake. It was hard unfortunately. That was a little too much for me as I disqualified myself.”

This year his best finish in three events on the European Tour has been a tied 49th at the South African Open.

Siem’s biggest victory came in China at the 2014 BMW Masters, which propelled him to a career-high seventh place finish in the Race to Dubai. He also has a World Cup win on his CV after partnering fellow German Bernhard Langer to glory in Barbados in 2006.

“I am feeling more confident with a couple of good starts this year. Playing challenge after 18 years is not nice. It’s like when you miss one class in school, you have to go back.

I have to go through the season with playing 10-12 challengers or invitation events on the tour. I have to fight through this year and I hope 20201 will be good again.”

France’s Tom Santa, who carded two under and lying joint fifth on Pro leaderboard, is leading the amateur section of the championship.