Bond takes lead at Austrian Open

• Tweet

ATZENBRUGG, Austria, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Liam Bond had birdies in four of his last five holes in taking the lead after the first round of the European Tour's Austrian Golf Open.

Bond wound up with a 6-under-par 66 and has a one-stroke lead over Daniel Gaunt, Joost Luiten and Thomas Norret. Steve Webster, who had three birdies in his first five holes and two eagles and three bogeys on the back nine, is alone in fifth at 4-under.

Bond opened with a birdie at the Diamond Country Club's 10th hole but had a bogey at No. 12. Birdies at 13 and 15 had Bond at 2-under before he ran off seven consecutive pars.

He got hot after that, however, recording consecutive birdies on Nos. 5-7 and pulling into the lead alone with a birdie at the par-3 ninth hole.

Four of his seven birdies came in the Diamond Country Club's par 5s.

Gaunt twice had consecutive birdie strings on three holes and finished with eight birdies and three bogeys on the day. Luiten had an eagle at the par-5, 506-yard 10th hole to go with five birdies and two bogeys. Norret had seven birdies and two bogeys.