Golf: Lima makes early push

Mar 20 2008 icWales

Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima, still searching for his first top 50 finish of the season, was aiming much higher than that after making a flying start to the Madeira Islands Open at Santo da Serra today.

The 26-year-old birdied the 10th, then eagled the long 11th and after five holes remained three under par and joint leader with Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera, winner of last year’s Challenge Tour.

Embarking on his first season on the main circuit, 23-year-old Lorenzo-Vera has already had a ninth place in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa and he set off with three birdies in his first four holes.

English pair Tom Whitehouse and Miles Tunnicliff were in the group on two under, while Bradley Dredge, the only player in the world’s top 125 taking part, Welsh World Cup-winning partner Stephen Dodd and former Open champion Paul Lawrie were all among the later starters.

Victory for 72nd-ranked Dredge would lift him into the world’s top 50 and set him up for a return to the Masters at Augusta a year after he was only three strokes off the lead with a round to play.