Birdie blitz puts Bickerton into lead
England’s John Bickerton fell just one short of equalling the course record as he posted an eight-under-par 63 to lead the French Open by two strokes.
The Droitwich golfer came storming through a pack of players with five birdies in his final seven holes to overtake 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell, who minutes earlier had posted the clubhouse lead at six under.
He was one shy of Eduardo Romero’s 62 from last year’s tournament at Le Golf National.
Starting on the back nine, the 36-year-old had three birdies in a row from the 11th with his longest putt being just 15 feet to turn in 32.
At the 563-yard third he was in trouble off the tee and had to chip out with a lob wedge but then holed a long birdie putt after hitting a five iron to 30 feet.
He picked up more shots at his next two holes, one from 25 feet and another from 12, before he closed with back-to-back birdies – signing off in style at the last with a 20-footer.
Campbell began his round at the 10th with a bogey five but after that was flawless as four birdies took him to the turn in 32.
He also birdied the par-five third before a seven-foot putt at the fifth took him to five under and he capped his round with a final birdie at the 450-yard seventh.
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