SOUTHAMPTON golfer Richard Bland was enjoying the best week of his golfing career a year ago this week.
But on the anniversary of his momentous Challenge Tour Grand Final victory in Bordeaux, the Stoneham clubman was having a nightmare in Madrid.
Bland, hoping to crown his first full season on the European Tour with a place in the Volvo Masters next month, finished the first round of the Telefonica Madrid Open in last place.
Three disastrous holes cost him seven shots - with double bogies at eight and 11 and a triple bogey seven at the 16th.
The man from Marchwood dropped four more shots for a nine-over-par 80 - his worst round of the season. A brace of birdies did little to gloss over the damage.
Hayling's Matt Blackey, hoping to make it a second successive Hampshire victory in the Challenge Tour Grand Final, was also suffering double bogey gremlins. A six at the last hole at Golf du Medoc left him two over for the day and back in 30th place.
His hopes of topping the Challenge Tour order of merit now look slim with Lee James and Jean Francois Lucquin, the two men above him in the rankings, both posting better scores.
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