AALBORG, Denmark – David Horsey shot an 8-under 63 to secure a one-shot lead after the first round of the Made in Denmark tournament on Thursday.

Starting on the 10th hole, the Englishman shot an eagle on the par-5 11th and five consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-17 to finish the back nine in 28. His one stumble was a bogey on the fifth.

Welshman Oliver Farr was one shot behind and Paul Laurie of Scotland third with a 6-under 65.

Denmark’s Soeren Kjeldsen, who celebrated reaching 500 European Tour appearances, led a field of seven players at 66.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – The European Tour has chosen France over Firestone.

In a move that forces the hands of European players, new chief executive Keith Pelley said Tuesday the European Tour will not sanction the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone next year. Any member who plays the World Golf Championship will not get credit for Ryder Cup points or official earnings.

A crowded 2016 schedule because of the Olympics means the Bridgestone Invitational will move up one month to June 30 to July 3. That’s the same week as the French Open, a popular tournament that has been part of the European Tour schedule since 1972.

The French Open is the oldest national championship in continental Europe.

“I think the European Tour has done the only thing available to them,” said Graeme McDowell, a two-time French Open champion. “They had no other decision. It’s a one-off year. It’s a messed-up summer. We all know that. I don’t think the European Tour had other options.”

Under terms of its contract with the French Open, the European Tour was not allowed to sanction any other event.

The Bridgestone Invitational is among four events that make up the World Golf Championship. And while the WGCs are run by the International Federation of PGA Tours, it was another clear case that the PGA Tour has the final say. Three of the four WGCs are held in America.

“I think they’ve done the right thing by standing beside one of their mainstays of the European Tour,” Darren Clarke said. “The French Open is steeped in history, around a wonderful venue that we have the 2018 Ryder Cup around. They’ve showed loyalty to the French Open and rightly so.”

The PGA Tour said in a statement that golf’s return to the Olympics for 2016 came with big challenges for a summer schedule. Already the PGA Championship agreed to move from its August date to the end of July, just two weeks after the British Open. The John Deere Classic agreed to move to August during the Olympics, meaning Jordan Spieth likely will not be able to defend his title.

“Several events were impacted, and while we have had numerous conversations with the European Tour with respect to the scheduling of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, we were ultimately unable to find a solution that satisfied all parties,” the PGA Tour said.

Both fields are likely to be hurt.

The WGCs have an $8 million purse and offers far more world ranking points than a regular European Tour event. But some European Tour players who could be on the bubble for making the Ryder Cup team will not get money or ranking points from Firestone, and thus would be better off going to France.

Shane Lowry of Ireland won the Bridgestone Invitational this year.

McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer are among several players who compete on both tours, and they must play at least 13 events in Europe and 15 on the PGA Tour. The top players could count on eight tournaments – four majors and four WGCs – to reach the minimum. Europeans will lose one of those.

Europeans who are PGA Tour members might be giving up crucial points that relate to the FedEx Cup and will have to decide between the two events.

ABERDEEN, Scotland – Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand won the inaugural Paul Lawrie Match Play by holing a 4-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 to beat Sweden’s Robert Karlsson by one hole in the final.

Aphibarnrat beat Marc Warren of Scotland 3 and 2 in the semifinals then went 3 up with four holes to play against Karlsson, only to lose three holes in a row.

Karlsson sent his approach to No. 18 to 10 feet but Aphibarnrat went even closer. After Karlsson dragged his birdie attempt wide, Aphibarnrat made his putt to clinch a third European Tour title and a first prize of 122,000 pounds ($190,000).

The 26-year-old Aphibarnrat’s previous wins came in Malaysia and China, and he said: “The next step was to win in Europe. I’m happy and proud of myself.”

Karlsson beat David Howell on the 20th hole in their semifinal.

SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands – Roope Kakko earned his first European Tour victory Sunday after shooting a flawless 9-under 63 to win the Madeira Islands Open by three strokes.

The 33-year-old Finn made an eagle on the par-4 10th to go with seven birdies for a tournament-record 24-under total of 264. Scott Henry of Scotland was runner-up for the second year in a row after a 66, having lost a playoff to England’s Daniel Brooks last year.

Andrew McArthur of Scotland was another three strokes back in third.

Kakko is only the second Finnish player to win on the European Tour, following Mikko Ilonen.

“I came here to try and win this event and change my career so I’m over the moon to have done it,” Kakko said. “I almost started crying with three holes to go. I was really getting emotional.”

Kakko was the third amateur to win a Challenge Tour tournament when he won the Volvo Finnish Open – his home event – in 2004.

Kakko’s wife Minea Blomqvist is an LPGA Tour golfer.

“There was a lot of pressure but I had some pretty good thoughts in me, so I was able to handle it today,” Kakko said. “Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you plan it, but it all went my way today.”

ABERDEEN, Scotland – Marc Warren of Scotland holed an approach shot from 59 yards for eagle on the 19th to beat Tyrrell Hatton in an action-packed quarterfinal at the Paul Lawrie Match Play on Saturday.

Warren was 3 down after five holes and needed on-course treatment by the European Tour physio for a back problem. Hatton chipped in for birdie on No. 18 to take the match to extra holes.

“It was one of the most bizarre games I have ever been involved in,” Warren said.

Warren will face Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the semifinals after the third seed came from 3 down after four holes to beat Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, 2 and 1.

David Howell of England will take on former Ryder Cup teammate Robert Karlsson of Sweden in the other semifinal.

SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands – Pontus Widegren of Sweden will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Madeira Islands Open, and hope of a first win on the European Tour.

Widegren offset two bogeys with two eagles before the turn, and finished the third round with a 5-under-par 67 to sit on a total of 16-under 200.

Widegren said he struggled on the greens, and was able to overcome a tough start by hitting “a nice eagle at No. 3” and building momentum.

Tied for second were Scott Henry of Scotland and Roope Kakko of Finland. Henry enjoyed a flawless round of 65 with seven birdies, and Kakko finished his round of 64 with three straight birdies.

Brandon Stone of South Africa (66) was two back, and Bjorn Akesson of Sweden (68) bogeyed his last two holes to drop into fifth on his own, four shots off the pace.

SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands – Sam Walker of England and Pontus Widegren of Sweden both shot a 6-under 66 Friday to sit tied for the lead after the second round of the Madeira Islands Open.

Walker had an eagle and four birdies while Widegren had to overcome two bogeys by making an eagle and five birdies for an 11-under total of 133.

They were a shot ahead of first-round leader Antonio Hortal of Spain, who shot a 71, while last-year’s runner up Scott Henry of Scotland was among four players another stroke behind.

The 37-year-old Walker said the windy conditions on the island course were tough, “but if you played with the wind a little bit you’d create some chances.”

Walker is bidding for his first European Tour win but said “this is Madeira, it’s never easy here.”

ABERDEEN, Scotland – The inaugural Paul Lawrie Match Play lost its top-seeded player and the tournament host at the last-32 stage on Friday.

No. 1-seeded James Morrison was beaten 2 and 1 by Johan Carlsson, who will play fellow Swede Robert Karlsson in the last 16.

Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, will spend the rest of the event in the sponsor’s pavilion after losing by 1 hole to Scottish compatriot Chris Doak.

Doak next will play David Howell, who had a 6-and-4 victory over David Drysdale in the most comprehensive win of the second round.

SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands – Antonio Hortal of Spain carded a 9-under 63 to take a one-shot lead in the first round of the Madeira Islands Open on Thursday.

Hortal had a bogey on the second hole but made it up by hitting an eagle and eight birdies, including one on the 17th, to overtake countryman Nacho Elvira, whose 64 featured eight birdies.

Ryan Fox of New Zealand and Sebastian Gros of France tied for third on 65.

Scott Henry of Scotland, runner-up last year to Daniel Brooks of England in a playoff, was in a group of eight tied for fifth on 66.

ABERDEEN, Scotland – Former British Open champion Paul Lawrie advanced to the last 32 of the European Tour match play event he is hosting in northern Scotland with a 5-and-4 victory over Romain Wattel on Thursday.

The most comprehensive win in the first round of the inaugural Paul Lawrie Match Play in Aberdeen belonged to Spain’s Alejandro Canizares, who was a 7-and-6 winner over Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark.

James Morrison, the top seed from England, beat Pelle Edberg 2 and 1 to progress from the last 64.

The second round is on Friday.