Italian Open
Castelconturbia
Milan, Italy
30th April - 3rd May 1998

Par 72 Prize Money £500,000

Second Day Report

First Day Report
First Round Scores

Sjoland takes lead at rain-plagued Italian Open

Milan, Italy, 1st May 1998 - Patrik Sjoland of Sweden birdied four of the final five holes today and finished with an 8-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead during the first round of the rain-plagued Italian Open.

Only half of the 156-player field teed off today, and officials cut the event to 54 holes.

First-round play was washed out Thursday and delayed by six hours today, when workers scrambled to make water-logged fairways and greens playable. Preferred lies were in use as organizers shortened four holes by a total of 234 yards at the Castelconturbia Golf Club course.

Sjoland is seeking his first European PGA victory.

Countryman Klaus Eriksson was in second after a 66, and six golfers were at 67.

At 68 were former Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and Lee Westwood, who won the U.S. PGA Tour's Freeport-McDermott Classic last month and is making his European season debut.

Olazabal lost to Bernhard Langer by a stroke at this event last year and was second last week at the Spanish Open.

Costantino Rocca, bidding to become the first Italian to win this tournament since 1980, carded a 69.

The golfers who did not play today will play two rounds Saturday.