Lafeber & Emerson share first round lead

A golfer who kickstarted his professional career by selling shares in himself is the first-round leader of the Greg Norman International at The Lakes in Sydney.

Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, 25, carded a seven-under 66, 10 shots better than host Greg Norman.

Lafeber raised $US375,000 when about 1100 people parted with $US50 per share to buy 7500 shares.

If he makes it in the golfing world, Lafeber will buy back the shares at "around a 50 per cent profit for the shareholders", who in the interim get a dividend which goes up each year the shares remain in their hands.

"When I turned pro it was an idea that my manager and the bank director came up with as a way of funding my career," Lafeber said.

"It created quite a bit of hype back in Holland when we did it."

At the time, Lafeber was the Dutch equivalent of Australian amateur sensation Aaron Baddeley.

Like Baddeley he was on a plus-4 handicap and he'd won the Dutch amateur championship twice, the Swiss amateur title and, in his biggest victory, he'd claimed the Spanish amateur crown by defeating a 17-year-old Sergio Garcia.

However, his pro career hasn't exactly sizzled, with a victory in the 1998 Kenyan Open on the European Challenge Tour and a fifth placing in the Dutch Open last year his best efforts.

Today, he launched his round in style with an eagle at the par-5 second hole and picked up another six birdies and a bogey - finishing with a hat-trick of birdies at 16, 17 and 18.

On a day when the Europeans asserted themselves - The Netherlands, England, Scotland, Denmark, Wales, China and Australia are all represented in the top-10 - Lafeber was joined at seven-under by Englishman Gary Emerson, who concluded his round in dramatic fashion.

At one-under through 12 holes, Emerson's last six holes were played in six-under par with four birdies and an eagle.

A 36-year-old journeyman who has been off and on the European Tour since 1983, Emerson admitted he putted well - his 26 putts accounting for a large chunk of his sub-par score.

Another to close in scintillating fashion was Scotland's Andrew Coltart, who picked up eight shots in seven holes courtesy of two eagles in the space of four holes, to finish the day at six-under.

Alongside him was Australian Peter Senior, who was blemish-free in compiling six birdies. Queenslander Shane Tait was the other Australian in the top-10, his 68 coming in eclectic fashion with an eagle, six birdies, three bogeys and eight pars.

Norman's poor round leaves him in danger of missing the cut for the second year in a row.

Last year he had an excuse as he had just returned from shoulder surgery but today he just played badly, making a bogey-bogey start from which he never recovered.

He was shown up by playing partner Baddeley, who put himself in contention with an opening 71 despite being warned for slow play.

US Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal finished one-under, while American John Daly was true to his word and played conservatively - never using his driver - on the way to an opening 73.

In-form Kiwi Michael Campbell said he "felt flat" as his putting touch deserted him and he shot 74 while Stuart Appleby began with a flourish of three birdies in four holes before giving them all back to finish square with the card.

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