MARTIN Sell admitted to being ‘very frustrated’ after a difficult opening day at the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open at Saint-Omer Golf Club.
Teeing off at the 10th, the Wrag Barn pro made four successive bogeys between 12 and 15 and eventually carded a five-over-par round of 76.
The 30mph winds in northern France did not help the Swindonian’s cause and he felt he had plenty of bad luck before the turn.
“It was a very frustrating day and one where I didn’t actually play too badly, I just had a few bad breaks,” he said.
“I started OK with a couple of pars, then on 12 I had a gap wedge into an elevated green, came up short and ran 15 yards back down the hill.
“On 13 I had a four-iron to the green from the centre of the fairway.
“The ball landed on the front left of the green and the wind blew it into the bunker, where I splashed out and missed from six feet.
“Fourteen was pretty poor.
“I was out of position and ended up hitting a 100-yard chip-and-run into the bunker.
“I shot to eight feet but missed the putt.
“On 15 I hit a slight pull with a nine-iron approach and it ended up in the rough on top of the left bunker.
“The bunker had a four-foot vertical face which meant I was stood in the bunker with the ball about chest-high, and although I played a fairly good shot, I missed from 10 feet.
“If that wasn't unlucky enough, the 17th really took the biscuit.
“My tee shot finished pin-high on the right fringe, I grabbed my putter and started to survey the putt from behind the hole when a big gust of wind blew my ball off the edge of the green and down a swale 20 yards away, costing me another shot.
“I played solid after that and I felt I should have finished two-over or three-over at worst, as I gave myself some good chances which hit the edge of the hole.”
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