Des Smyth left on his own when playing partners retire

TORRANCE ,MASON HIT BY
INJURIES DURING FINAL
SENIORS' TOURNAMENT

By STEVEN FRANKLIN (sfranklin@europeantour.com)
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour

Defending champion Des Smyth took a share of the lead on day one of the Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship in Bahrain after playing half of his round on his own, following the withdrawal of BOTH his playing partners, Sam Torrance and Carl Mason, through injury.
Englishman Mason lasted just two holes before a back problem forced him off the course at Riffa Views, while European Seniors Tour Order of Merit winner Torrance quit after nine due to a swollen index finger.
This meant that the feature group on day one of the US$500,000 championship, the final event of the European Seniors Tour season, comprised Smyth and a marker in the shape of Colin Ferguson, the Scottish-born professional at Riffa Views.
“It was incredible - that’s never happened to me before,” commented Irishman Smyth, who birdied the last hole for a three-under-par 69 and a share of the lead with Adan Sowa of Argentina.
“It was looking like it would be a really lonely round but then the local pro joined me and we had a nice chit-chat. As it turned out I ended up thanking him as I pulled things around on the back nine.”
Smyth made his score with three birdies over the closing five holes to move two clear of three players sharing second place - Scotland's Martin Gray, John Bland of South Africa and Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Heggarty, who all returned 71s in difficult, windy conditions.
Torrance (pictured above), who was three over par for his nine holes, said: “The bonus is that I have already won the Order of Merit. It would have been pretty depressing to walk in and leave people out on the course that had a chance of beating me to the title.
“Still, it was very disappointing to have to quit, but I have had this pain for a few weeks. I thought it was arthritis but I have just been told by the nurse here that it might be gout, as I have had it in my toes as well. I hope it is gout as that would be much easier to cure.”
Mason, meanwhile, will lose his second place position on the Order of Merit if former Ryder Cup player José Rivero manages to finish first or second in Bahrain. The Spaniard has much to do, though, after starting with a six over par 78.
Mason was one of the pre-tournament favourites following a brilliant run of form that had seen him win three of the previous four events, but with a fourth win of the season now out of the question he was left reflecting on his run of bad luck at Riffa Views.
At the same venue last year, a series of unfortunate events conspired to prevent him from winning his third European Seniors Tour Order of Merit. Firstly his caddie failed to turn up and then his problem back flared up again, leaving the way open for Torrance to secure the 2005 Order of Merit in comfortable fashion.
“I am thinking that I am fated at this place,” rued Mason, a winner of 13 titles on the European Seniors Tour and a two-time winner on The European Tour.
“I am obviously sorely disappointed to withdraw, but it won’t change my life. If it had cost me the Order of Merit I would be really down, but it hasn’t and thankfully I have had a good season. It’s just a damn shame it had to finish like this.”

LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES

RIFFA VIEWS, BAHRAIN (Par 72)

69 Des Smyth (Ire), Adan Sowa (Arg)
71 Jimmy Heggarty (NI), John Bland (SAf), Martin Gray (Sco).
72 Luis Carbonetti (Arg), Angel Fernandez (Chi), Gavan Levenson (SAf), Pete Oakley (US), Simon Owen (NZ), Tony Johnstone (Zim)
73 Gordon J Brand (Eng), Mike Miller (Sco), Jim Rhodes (Eng), Bertus Smit (SAf), Gery Watine (Fra).
74 Horacio Carbonetti (Arg), John Chillas (Sco) Guillermo Encina (Chi), Terry Gale (Aus), Stewart Ginn (Aus), David Good (Aus), Denis O’Sullivan (Ire), Manuel Piñero (Spa), Kevin Spurgeon (Eng).
75 Nick Job (Eng).
76 Bob Cameron (Eng), Doug Johnson (US), Bob Larratt (Eng)
77 Bruce Heuchan (Can), John Mills (am) (Eng), Abdulla Sultan (am) (Bhr).
78 Giuseppe Cali (Ita), Juan Quirós (Spa), José Rivero (Spa), Glenn Ralph (Eng)
79 Bobby Lincoln (SAf)
80 Martin Poxon (Eng)
81 Daij Ahmed (am) (Bhr), David J Russell (Eng)
82 Ali Sager Al Noaimi (am) (Bhr), Victor Garcia (Spa), Bill Longmuir (Sco).
83 Jerry Bruner (US), Mike Massie (am) (Sco), Khalid Salem (am) (Bhr)
Withdrew: Sam Torrance (Sco), Carl Mason (Eng)