TONY JOHNSTONE BEATS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
TO SHARE FRENCH SENIORS OPEN LEAD

By STEVEN FRANKLIN
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour

Sunningdale-based Tony Johnstone, the Sky golf analyst and former PGA championship winner, rediscovered his putting touch to grab a share of the lead with England’s Nick Job after round one of the Open de France Senior Divonne.
The fact that Johnstone is at Golf du Domaine de Divonne at all owes everything to his considerable strength of body and mind, given that the Zimbabwean was told he would never play golf again after being struck down by multiple sclerosis.
That was three years ago and now, having won the biggest battle of his life thanks to a revolutionary drug trial, Johnstone is focusing all his energies on a maiden European Seniors Tour triumph in France, where he started strongly with a five-under-par 67 to tie Londoner Job at the top.
Italy’s Costantino Rocca, who won the French Open on the European Tour in 1993, is a shot further back after a 68 and shares third spot with Chile’s Guillermo Encina and Australian David Good.
England’s Bob Cameron, who won this title on its only previous staging in 2004, started with a two under par 70.
Johnstone put his charge to the top down to a change of grip and putter. “I have been hitting the ball well all season but putting horribly. I have been looking for the answer and have changed putters and method. I have gone back to a putting grip I used 20 years ago – a baseball grip – and I holed some really good putts during my round, including two par saves from ten feet.
“If I had played like that two weeks ago I would have shot par. I have said to friends and family that as soon as I can get the putter working just average then I will be a contender, and I think I just about proved that today,” added the 51 year old.
A late eagle 3 left Bill Longmuir as the only Scot in red figures after a perfect scoring day. Longmuir, a five-time winner on the European Seniors Tour, was one over par before salvaging his first round with a brilliant 3 at the par-5 17th hole, which allowed him to sign for a 71.
John Chillas, Ross Drummond and Steve Martin were all round in level par 72, and completing the Tartan contingent were Martin Gray (73) and Mike Miller (76).

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 72
67 Nick Job (Eng), Tony Johnstone (Zim).
68 Costantino Rocca (Ita), Guillermo Encina (Chi), David Good (Aus).
69 Denis O’Sullivan (Ire), Juan Quiros (Esp), John Mashego (RSA), Jerry Bruner (US).
70 Denis Durnian (Eng), Gery Watine (Fra), Luis Carbonetti (Arg), Emilio Rodriguez (Esp), Bob Cameron (Eng), Gordon J Brand (Eng), Carl Mason (Eng), Ian Mosey (Eng).
71 José Rivero (Esp), Martin Foster (Eng), Tony Charnley (Eng), Bill Longmuir (Sco), Angel Fernandez (Chi), Bruce Heuchan (Can), Seiji Ebihara (Jap), David Merriman (Aus), Tim Rastall (Eng).
72 Jean Pierre Sallat (Fra), Steve Martin (Sco), Kevin Spurgeon (Eng), Bertus Smit (RSA), Ross Drummond (Sco), John Chillas (Sco), Bob Charles (Nzl), Pete Oakley (US), Terry Dill (US)
73 Philippe Dugeny (Fra), Mike Clayton (Aus), Bobby Lincoln (RSA), David J Russell (Eng), Mike Ferguson (Aus), Martin Poxon (Eng), Martin Gray (Sco), Noel Ratcliffe (Aus), Delroy Cambridge (Jam), Jim Rhodes (Eng), Giuseppe Cali (Ita), Stewart Ginn (Aus), John Benda (US).
74 Simon Owen (NZ), Manuel Piñero (Esp), Glenn Ralph (Eng), David Creamer (Eng), Bob Lendzion (US), Tommy Horton (Eng), Ray Carrasco (US), Bob Larratt (Eng).
75 Jimmy Heggarty (NIr), Antonio Garrido (Esp), Jim Lapsley (NZ), Alan Tapie (US).
76 Mike Miller (Sco), Doug Johnson (US).
77 Eamonn Darcy (Ire), Andrew Murray (Eng), Maurice Bembridge (Eng).
78 Gino Prudentino (Fra)
.79 Eddie Polland (NIr), Victor Garcia (Esp).
80 Neil Coles (Eng), Gavan Levenson (RSA).
81 Robert Guignet (Fra).