Drummond shares lead but

it's a day to forget for

Torrance and Woosnam

From Nat Sylvester, PGA Press Officer
Sam Torrance’s bid to rediscover his best form suffered a blow with a double bogey on the last hole as he signed for a 76 in the opening round of the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall.

The former Ryder Cup captain, who missed the cut at the British Seniors Open, cut a dejected figure as he trudged off the rain-sodden Hunting Course and admitted it was a sucker punch.

But there was better news for fellow Scot Ross Drummond who shares the first round lead in the £300,000 event with Italian Giuseppe Cali after a one under par 71.

Scots Bill Longmuir and club pro Bill McColl from Leigh Driving Range in Essex sit alongside Gordon J Brand in a share of third place after level par 72s.

Drummond, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, took time to find his stride amid some of the toughest scoring conditions seen this year on the European Seniors Tour but rattled in four birdies on the back nine including a stunning 3 on the last.

“Nothing happened for e going out at all,” said Drummond. “I had quite a few birdie chances but couldn’t get the ball in the hole at all but on the back nine I started rolling the putts better and made four birdies.

“It’s just unfortunate I had a bogey on 17 when I came up short in the bunker and didn’t get it up and down but I had a huge bonus on 18 with a 3. I hit three wood off the tee, three for the second shot and put it to two feet which was a great way to finish.
Torrance, a two-time winner of the PGA Seniors Championship, was out in 37 but picked up a double-bogey on the 10th. He birdied 12 and 15 but a bogey on 13 and his troubles on the last soured his day’s work.

“It’s disappointing but double-bogeying the last is a pain,” said Torrance. “I pushed my tee shot into the rough and then hit it over the back which was dead.

“I haven’t played well for a while and missed the last two cuts so my form has not been good at all. I just need to hole some putts. This is a good course but if you get into the rough you are dead.”

Torrance, who turns 55 on Sunday, was paired with old pal Gordon Brand Junior who was making his Seniors debut following his 50th birthday on the eve of the tournament.

Brand got off to the worst possible start with successive bogeys but battled back to shoot a one over par 73.

Ian Woosnam in contrast endured a day to forget with a 79, including being penalised a further stroke after the round for his caddy treading on his ball when they were searching for it in the rough on the 11th.

"I just couldn't get into my rhythm at all, it was too slow,” said Woosnam.“I like to play fast, plus I got a penalty stroke after the round for my caddy standing on the ball. The ball was plugged in the rough on the 11th and he's managed to find it by accidentally standing on it. I think it's a bit of a stupid rule."
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
71 G Cali (Ita), R Drummond (Sco).

72 G J Brand (Eng), B McColl (Sco), B Longmuir (Sco).

73 D O'Sullivan (Ire), M Bembridge (Eng), B Cameron (Eng), L Carbonetti (Arg), P Mitchell (Eng), M Foster (Eng), D Cambridge (Jam), A Murray (Eng), J Quiros (Spa), G Brand jun (Sco).

74 B Lincoln (SAf), D Good (Aus), S Ebihara (Jap), D Hospital (Spa), T Giedeon (Ger), D Merriman (Aus), E Darcy (Ire), J Rhodes (Eng), K Tomori (Jap).

75 J Bland (SAf), T Johnstone (Zim), J Chillas (Sco), A Barrera (Arg), R Green (Eng), P Dugeny (Fra), T Allen (Eng), J Rivero (Spa), C Rocca (Ita), B Boyd (US), M Poxon (Eng), G Townhill (Eng).
76 J Cañizares (Spa), A Fernandez (Chi), M Gallagher (Eng), S Torrance (Sco), N Job (Eng), D Stirling (Eng), N Ratcliffe (Aus).

77 P Harrison (Eng), M Galway (Eng), S Martin (Sco), H Carbonetti (Arg), I Palmer (SAf), K Spurgeon (Eng), C Mason (Eng), G Watine (Fra), F Hill (Eng), J Benda (US), J Heggarty (Nir), G Banister (Aus).
78 S Ginn (Aus), A Franco (Par), M Gray (Sco), D Russell (Eng), J Hall (Eng), B Smit (SAf), E Alessandrini (Ita), B Larratt (Eng).
79 B Heuchan (Can),I Mosey (Eng), P Brostedt (Swe), T Horton (Eng),M Piñero (Esp), G Harvey (Sco), I Woosnam (Wal), P Hinton (Eng), G Encina (Chi), J Lower (Eng), M White (Sco).
80 P Oakley (US), A Sowa (Arg), D Russell (Eng), S Graham (Eng), J Bruner (US), P Seal (Eng).

81 R Masters (Eng), M Briggs (Eng), G Krause (Eng), G Levenson (SAf), J Hoskison (Eng), V Garcia (Spa), T Rastall (Eng), T Price (Wal), M Miller (Sco).
82 M Patchett (Eng), S Harrison (Eng), R Webster (Sco), G Tickell (Wal), G Burroughs (Eng), E Polland (NIr), J Lapsley (NZ), E Rodriguez (Spa).
83 M Steadman (Eng), P Laugher (Eng), S Owen (NZ), K Jones (Wal), S Rolley (Eng), T Charnley (Eng).
84 R Mann (Eng), K Stevely (Sco), M Morbey (Eng).
85 A Bownes (Eng), R Waugh (Eng), T Gale (Aus), M Kierstenson (Eng), P Kerr (Sco).
86 G Gray (Sco), K Phillips (Sco), J Mashego (SAf), S Rooke (Eng).
87 A Garrido (Spa), M McLean (Eng).
88 R Johnson (Eng), P Barlow (Eng).
92 P O'Boyle (Irl).

*Live scoring from all four rounds of the championship and full results from today’s first round at Slaley Hall can be found under ‘Schedule Scores and Results’ at http://www.pga.info/PGASeniorsChampionship.aspx