Dodd leads, Olazabal struggles on
first day Welsh journeyman
Stephen Dodd shot a 6-under-par 65 Thursday to take the first-round lead in the
French Open.
The former British
Amateur champion has missed eight cuts in nine tournaments this year and has never
had a top six finish on the European PGA Tour.
American
Bob May shot a 66 and was tied for second with Frenchman Jeff Remesy, England's
Andrew Sherborne and Darren Lee and Ireland's Eamon Darcy.
Masters
champion Jose Maria Olazabal shot a 1-over-par 72 in a round that included four
bogeys.
"Right now Olazabal's
driving like an 18 handicapper and hitting iron-shots like the great champion
he is," commented Frenchman Thomas Levet, one of the Spaniard's playing partners
Thursday.
Olazabal declined
comment, stalking into the club house with his eyes to the ground.
Fellow
Spaniard Seve Ballesteros, a late entry after his encouraging top-20 finish at
last week's Italian Open, plunged back into his two-year slump with a 77.