MASON (66) LEADS BUT THREE SCOTS ARE
ON HIS TAIL IN SPANISH SENIORS EVENT

By Graeme Hamlett
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour
Scottish trio Sam Torrance, Ross Drummond and Mike Miller are challenging strongly at the OKI Castellόn Open de España, being played at Club de Camp del Mediterraneo, as they bid to close their European Seniors Tour season in winning fashion at the penultimate event of 2007.
All three carded opening rounds of two under par 70. It leaves them four strokes behind the lead held by England’s Carl Mason, who shot a six under par 66 to advance his hopes for a fifth victory of a prolific 2007 where he has already secured a third Order of Merit crown.
Mason said: “I just played very solidly. After a few weeks off, which we’ve had after playing in at Dalmahoy, you do feel a little bit flat when you have to start up again – but it’s always nice to come to Spain and to shoot 66 is very pleasing.”
Mason can pass his own record earnings of €354,775 (£245,285) he set in 2004, when he last finished top European, should he pick up more than €1,788 in winnings in Spain.
Meanwhile, Bill Longmuir shot a one under par 71, John Chillas, recent winner of the Scandinavian Senior Open, shot a two over par 74, while Steve Martin (75) and Martin Gray (76) complete the Scottish contingent.
Spain’s Emilio Rodriguez, who shot 67 and is tied for second with Chile’s Guillermo Encina, admitted he took great pleasure from his round in the company of Victor Garcia, who shot 74 but who has his son, European Tour ace and Open Championship runner-up Sergio Garcia, on caddie duties for the tournament on their home course.
Rodriguez said: “It has been the best day of the year. Playing with Victor and Sergio was so much fun. It was perfect and I am very happy to be leading too. It is a bonus from the most fun day I’ve had on the golf course.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
66 C Mason (Eng).
67 G Encina (Chl), E Rodriguez (Esp).
68 D Good (Aus), J Quiros (Esp), G Watine (Fra).
69 D Cambridge (Jam), L Carbonetti (Arg), A Fernandez (Chl), S Ginn (Aus), B Heuchan (Can), G Ralph (Eng), G Townhill (Eng).
70 R Drummond (Sco), J Mashego (RSA), M Miller (Sco), J Rhodes (Eng), K Spurgeon (Eng), S Torrance (Sco).
71 T Allen (Eng), J Anglada (Esp), J Benda (USA), G Cali (Ita), H Carbonetti (Arg), D Durnian (Eng), B Longmuir (Sco), D Merriman (Aus), A Murray (Eng), P Oakley (US), J Rivero (Esp), C Rocca (Ita).
72 G J Brand (Eng), J Bruner (US), B Cameron (Eng), E Darcy (Irl), T Gale (Aus), D Johnson (US), T Johnstone (Zim), B Larratt (Eng), M Poxon (Eng), D J Russell (Eng).
73 M Bembridge (Eng), T Dill (US), P Dugeny (Fra), J Heggarty (NIr), N Job (Eng), I Mosey (Eng), D O’Sullivan (Irl), J P Sallat (Fra), B Smit (RSA), A Sowa (Arg), R Stelten (US), H Woodrome (US).
74 J Chillas (Sco), V Garcia (Esp), B Hardwick (Can), B Lincoln (RSA), T Rastall (Eng).
75 J M Canizares (Esp), T Charnley (Eng), A Garrido (Esp), T Horton (Eng), S Martin (Sco), M Pinero (Esp), E Polland (NIr).
76 N Clarke (RSA), M Gray (Sco), G Hopkins (US).
77 J Hall (Eng), R Mann (Eng).
78 J Lapsley (Nzl).
80 T Gideon (Ger).