Moroccan Open
Golf Royal D'Agadir
Agadir, Morocco
12th - 15th March 1998

Par 72 Prize Money £350,000

First Round Report

First Round Scores

Play suspended because of high wind

Agadir, Morocco, 12th March 1998 - Play in the first round of the Moroccan Open golf tournament was suspended on Thursday because of high winds.

Officials said they would decide later whether to restart play today. Before the suspension, tournament favourite Seve Ballesteros crashed to eight-over-par after seven holes.

Irishman Des Smyth led a tournament for the first time in five years when he equalled the course record with an eight-under-par 64 before play was suspended.

Smyth, 45, whose last European Tour victory came in the 1993 Madrid Open, changed putters the day before his first round charge which put him three shots ahead of Spain's Pedro Linhart and Swede Mathias Gronberg.

He needed only 26 putts over his first 18 holes as he collected an eagle and seven birdies.

The veteran had spotted an 'Odyssey' putter which reminded him of one he used during his glory years of the late 1970s and 80s when he won five European Tour events and played in the 1979 and '81 Ryder Cup matches. Smyth asked for one to be made up for him.

It arrived in time for him to practise with it on Wednesday and Smyth's hunch that it might change his putting fortunes, proved correct.

"I've worked very hard during the winter for a better season this year after a terrible time for the last two years," said Smyth, who has had to rely on the European Tour 'all-time money list' this year after losing his normal touring card last year.

"And it was paying off for my first two events of the year because I made both cuts. But the putting was letting me down so I felt I needed a change of putter.

"I liked the feel of the Odyssey so I asked for one to be made up. They did it in double-quick time and I only needed 10 putts in practice with it to know that it would suit me."

As Smyth came in, tournament favourite Severiano Ballesteros was starting his opening round. A birdie and a bogey in his first three holes left Ballesteros level-par and with eight strokes to make up on the lead.

Last year's champion in Agadir, South African Clinton Whitelaw, looked as though he would make a good start to the defence of his title when he lay four-under-par after 10 holes.

However, as the wind got up, he crashed to a 73 with five bogeys in the last eight holes, dropping four shots over the closing five.

The Golf Royal D'Agadir course measures 6086 metres and has a par 72. First prize is £58,330.