Eagle at the last gives Cabrera Bello lead in Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Rafa Cabrera Bello fired a stunning eagle at his final hole for a flawless six-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Hong Kong Open at Fanling on Thursday.

The Spaniard had already picked up four birdies when he lined up his approach shot at the par-four 10th, firing the ball a foot past the pin and watching as it spun back into the hole.

The 32-year-old launched his club into the air in celebration of a round that gave him the lead ahead of Frenchman Sebastien Gros, who was second after carding a five-birdie 65.

“That was really nice, I had perfect distance and I was surprised to see it go in,” Cabrera Bello said.

“I have never really finished a round like that. I played really smart today, made very few mistakes, I hit pretty much every green, I putted really well, so it was a nice walk out there.” Ten players shared third place at the European Tour co-sanctioned event after shooting 66s.

US Masters champion Danny Willett shot a 68, while his fellow Englishman Justin Rose, the defending champion and Rio Olympic gold medallist, bogeyed the last for a level par 70.

Another Englishman, former world number five Ian Poulter, also dropped a shot at the last to finish with a 68, fuming at the “mental errors” that cost him the three bogeys on his card.

“I’m rather annoyed, I’ll probably have to go a padded room for about an hour and then I’ll be all right,” he said.

“Over the last few years, I’ve made way too many mental errors and I’m getting frustrated on the course, which doesn’t help. I’ve got every right to be annoyed ... it’s not like me and I need to rectify it.”

Meanwhile, the Asian Tour’s strategic tie-up with the European Tour is a “great option” which will create more tournaments and opportunities for regional golfers, the body’s new CEO told AFP.

Josh Burack said the “strategic alliance”, adopted after Asian players baulked at a proposed merger with the bigger tour, wasn’t a second-best move for Asia.

The agreement was struck in July after Burack’s predecessor Mike Kerr, who had backed a full merger of playing memberships and business interests, stepped down last December amid deep divisions over the move.

“The alliance is a partnership that commits us to working more together,” Burack said in an interview at the $2 million Hong Kong Open, which is sanctioned by both tours.

“If the European tour puts a new tournament into Asia, they need to do it with us. That’s very important because it ensures that we maintain half the field for our players.

“And at the same time we work together to promote and market these new tournaments ... We feel it’s a great option for the Asian tour.”

Last month the Asian Tour announced the first new tournament co-sanctioned with the European Tour, the Philippine Masters, which will take place from 2018 in a three-year deal.