Laurie Canter fires 12-under 60 to lead after Round 1 of Italian Open

BRESCIA, Italy – Laurie Canter shot a career-best 12-under 60 to open up a four-shot lead after the first round of the Italian Open on Thursday.

The Englishman registered an eagle and 10 birdies in a bogey-free round that tied for the lowest score to par ever recorded on the European Tour. It was also the lowest round at the Italian Open since it became part of the tour in 1972.

Full-field scores from the Italian Open

“It feels great. The score, days like that, the back nine there, everything’s gone in,” the 30-year-old Canter said. “I gave myself some chances and it was just one of those days where you’ve just got to enjoy the ride.”

Dean Burmester of South Africa and Joachim B. Hansen of Denmark were tied for second, a shot ahead of a group of five.

Canter is looking for his first European Tour win, with a second-place finish his best result to date. But he wasn’t getting carried away despite the blistering start.

“Winning, you need a lot of things to go your way,” he said. “So for me to win, and for me to say I feel ready to win, I feel like I’m jumping the gun. You play as well as you can for four days and hopefully it’s your week.”