IN-FORM ROCCA IN CONTENTION AT END OF
FIRST DAY IN WALES SENIOR OPEN


By STEVEN FRANKLIN
European Seniors Tour Press Officer

Italian Ryder Cup star Costantino Rocca, who won the Irish national Seniors title a fortnight ago, is right in contention to capture the Welsh version after an opening round of two under par on a testing first day at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open.

Rocca’s 70, secured after a fine up-and-down par save at the last, left him alongside the English duo of Tony Allen and Maurice Bembridge, another former Ryder Cup player, and within a stroke of the clubhouse lead held by Chile’s Guillermo Encina.

Last year, the links at Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club became the first Welsh course to stage an Open Championship Final Qualifying event and the tight layout, with its thick rough and punishing bunkers, was made even more difficult for the Seniors by heavy overnight rain that delayed the start of Friday’s first round by two and a half hours.

Add into the equation a blustery wind and under par scores were in short supply, a fact very much at the forefront of Rocca’s mind. “If you told me now that I can have three rounds of 70 then I would be pleased to take that. I think that could win the tournament,” commented the five-time European Tour winner, who won on only his third Seniors start in Ireland two weeks ago.

The exacting nature of the test was highlighted by the talented Zimbabwean Denis Watson. Having won the US Senior PGA Championship at Kiawah Island three weeks ago, Watson arrived in Wales in confident mood but could do no better than a four over par 76.

The Irish duo of Eamonn Darcy and Des Smyth, both fine exponents of links golf, were better placed after 71s, while two more Ryder Cup players, Englishmen Gordon J Brand and Tommy Horton were round in level par 72.

Former Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance of Scotland struggled over the back nine but finished with a smile after holing his bunker shot at the last for a two over par 74.


Conwy (Caernarvonshire) Golf Club, Wales (par 72)
First round scores:
69 Guillermo Encina (Chi)
70 Costantino Rocca (Ita), Tony Allen (Eng), Maurice Bembridge (Eng)
71 Eamonn Darcy (Ire), Ray Carrasco (USA), Luis Carbonetti (Arg), Des Smyth (Ire), Ian Mosey (Eng)
72 Jerry Bruner (USA), Bob Larratt (Eng), Gordon J Brand (Eng), Horacio Carbonetti (Arg), Tommy Horton (Eng), Mike Miller (Sco)
73 Ross Drummond (Sco), Martin Gray (Sco), Terry Hanson (Eng), Jimmy Heggarty (NIr), Steve Martin (Sco), Carl Mason (Eng), Emilio Rodriguez (Esp), Kevin Spurgeon (Eng), Pete Oakley (USA)
74 Bobby Lincoln (RSA), David J Russell (Eng), Stewart Ginn (Aus), Tony Johnstone (Zim), Andrew Murray (Eng), Glenn Ralph (Eng), Noel Ratcliffe (Aus), Jim Rhodes (Eng), Sam Torrance (Sco)
75 John Bland (RSA), Bob Cameron (Eng), Bruce Heuchan (Can), Denis O’Sullivan (Ire), Manuel Piñero (Esp), Juan Quiros (Esp), José Rivero (Esp), Bertus Smit (RSA), Peter Teravainen (USA)
76 Bob Charles (Nzl), Angel Fernandez (Chi), Malcolm Gregson (Eng), Denis Watson (Zim), Craig Defoy (Wal), Terry Gale (Aus), Simon Owen (Nzl)
77 Giuseppe Cali (Ita), David Good (Aus), Jim Lapsley (Nzl), Bill Longmuir (Sco), Eddie Polland (NIr), John Whitcutt (am) (Wal)
78 John Chillas (Sco), Mike Clayton (Aus), Neil Coles (Eng), Seiji Ebihara (Jap), Nick Job (Eng), David Merriman (Aus), Martin Poxon (Eng)
79 Doug Johnson (USA), Bill Malley (USA), Adan Sowa (Arg), Denis Durnian (Eng), Gery Watine (Fra)
80 Delroy Cambridge (Jam), David Creamer (Eng), Philippe Dugeny (Fra), Mike Ferguson (Aus), Antonio Garrido (Esp), Phil Jones (am) (Wal), John Mashego (RSA)
81 Basil Griffiths (am) (Wal), Jeff Hawkes (RSA)