STEVE MARTIN INSPIRED BY THE ALPS,
HITS PEAK FORM IN SWITZERLAND

By GRAEME HAMLETT
European Seniors Tour press officer

Former Walker Cup player Steve Martin from Dundee is the co-leader of the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, with Argentina’s Horacio Carbonetti, after shooting a six under par 64, to have a one-stroke advantage in Switzerland from Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Heggarty and England’s Carl Mason.
Playing in the first group teeing off at 8.30am, Martin admitted he found inspiration in the form of the picturesque Alpine course, and said: “I’m very pleased – it’s my best round of the year and I just felt right in these surroundings. I’ve been struggling and finishing in 50-60th place in most tournaments. There have been some disasters, so I didn’t come here with any great expectations.
“The difference today was I got off to a good start and kept it going. I played steady and kept finding the greens. It’s a very congested course, so you’ve got to keep it tight and be able to move the ball. It’s a lovely place to have shot my best score of the year.”
The 52 year old from Dundee went out in 31 strokes and back in 33. His birdies on the outward nine came from three feet on the second hole, he got up and down from the greenside bunker on the 480-yard par five fourth hole, and then hit back to back birdies on holes eight and nine.
A run of six pars followed until he drained a 12 foot effort for a four on the 484-yard par five 16th hole. Then, on the 18th hole, Martin sank a snaking 20 foot putt down a slope to put the seal on a great score.
There were successful starts to the tournament for two other competing Scots. Bill Longmuir fired a two under par 68 and Martin Gray shot 69, while Mike Miller and John Chillas endured less favourable opening rounds after shooting 72 and 73 respectively.