Whitson starts well in Morocco
Reeve Whitson, pictured in 2013 with the Copa del Rey, awarded to the winner of the Spanish Amateur Open Championship. Picture courtesy @gmacespanya
EPD Tour — Royal County Down's Reeve Whitson was just four shots off the lead when the first round of the fog-delayed Open Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia was completed on Thursday morning.
The 2013 Spanish Amateur Open champion carded four birdies and three bogeys in a one-under-par 70 at the Moroccan venue to share 17th place behind local player Younes El Hassani and former Irish Amateur Open winner Pedro Figueiredo of Portugal, who shot 66s.
Whitson, 25, turned professional in the second half of 2014, finishing 57th on the EPD Tour's Order of Merit in 2015 and 62nd last year.
Woodbrook's Colm Crowley shot a four-over-par 75 and Headfort's Rory McNamara a five-over-par 76 to leave them with work to do to make the projected level par cut for the top 40 and ties.