Top Scot Martin Gray

in joint 23rd place at

Lake Garda Seniors

From Colin Callander, European Seniors Tour Press Officer
Australia’s David Merriman and American Chuck Milne both carded six under par rounds of 66 to leave the big names in the shade after the first round of the Lake Garda Italian Seniors Open at the Palazzo Arzaga Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort today.
The 53-year-old former club professional from Sydney and his 60-year-old rival from Portland, Oregon, fired 15 birdies between them to go into the second round a shot in front of Chile’s Guillermo Encina and England’s Phil Harrison .
Local favourite Costantino Rocca returned a four-under-par 68 to end the first day in a share of fifth place alongside recent Scottish Seniors Open champion Peter Mitchell, Domingo Hospital, Luis Carbonetti, Jim Lapsley and Northern Ireland’s Eddie Polland.
However, it was not such a good day for current European Seniors Tour Order of Merit leader, Ian Woosnam, or for the 2007 No 1, Carl Mason, who posted level par rounds of 72 to go into the second round in a share of 23rd place with Nick Job, Pete Oakley, top Scot Martin Gray (pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency), Bruce Heuchan, Bob Cameron and Jean Pierre Sallat.
Sam Torrance finished one shot further back in a large group that included 1992 Volvo PGA champion Tony Johnstone and former Ryder Cup player Jose Rivero.
Merriman raced to the turn in three-under-par 33 and then added further birdies at the 10th, 11th, 14th and 15th before dropping back to six under par by three-putting from 25 feet on the 160yd par-3 17th.
“It was a shame to drop a shot at 17 but overall I was delighted with the way I played,” said the Australian, who arrived in Italy in 22nd place on the money after finishing tied for sixth at both the DGB Barbados Open and the Russian Seniors Open.”
“I’ve played pretty well for most of the season but have struggled to get the putts to drop.”
“Today was much better,” he added. “I think I had seven or eight single putts and I could have had a couple more.”
Milne has been sidelined for much of the 2008 season suffering from pneumonia and found himself back in the pack after reaching the turn in one under par 35. However, he stormed to five under the card with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th and then sealed a share of the lead by holing a 15ft birdie putt at the last.
“I don’t know where that came from,” admitted Milne, who is renowned as an accomplished teacher but whose sole appearance on this year’s Seniors Tour ended with an 18th place finish in the Azores.
“I’ve played some regional events at home in the States but, if you’d told me I hit every green in regulation today, I wouldn’t have believed you.
“I think I might celebrate with a glass or two of wine.”
Rocca gave the home fans a good deal to cheer about with a sparkling opening round that really got going when he birdied the seventh, eighth and ninth to reach the turn in three under par. He made another advance on the 539yd par-5 11th but failed to make up any further ground from there.
“It was one of those days when it was good but could have been a little better,” said the Italian who hails from Bergamo which is less than an hour’s drive from this week’s venue.
“The crowd was great. I just wish I could have given them a little bit more to shout about.”
Woosnam arrived at the penultimate event on this year’s with a €12,788 lead over Bernhard Langer at the top of the Order of Merit and still believes he can increase that advantage considerably after a 72 that was much better than the score suggests.
“The strange thing is that I’m quite pleased with that,” said the former Ryder Cup captain who hopes to succeed Mason as winner of The John Jacob Trophy at the OKI Castellon Open España – Senior Tour Championship at the start of November.
“I changed my swing this morning just before we went out and I felt I hit the ball really well.
“I decided to take the club back inside the line and then pick it straight up from there and the end result was that I was getting a lot more power.
“I’m looking forward to the weekend and think I can do well.”

FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
66 D Merriman (Aus), C. Milne (US).
67 P Harrison (Eng), G. Encina (Chi).
68 D Hospital (Spa), P. Mitchell (Eng), L. Carbonetti (Arg), E. Polland (NIr), C. Rocca (Ita), J. Lapsley (NZ).
69 J Rhodes (Eng), T Allen (Eng), T Rastall (Eng).
70 M Poxon (Eng), A Croce (Ita).
71 D O’Sullivan (Ire), D Durnian (Eng), G Watine (Fra), G J Brand (Eng), M Briggs (Eng), A Franco (Arg), G Townhill (Eng).
72 P Oakley (US), M Gray (Sco), B. Heuchan (Can), I. Woosnam (Wal), C. Mason (Eng), N Job (Eng), B Cameron (Eng), J P Sallat (Fra).
73 P Dugeny (Fra), B Smit (SAf), G Cali (Ita), B. Lincoln (SAf), E Rodriguez (Spa), J Rivero (Spa), H Carbonetti (Arg), V Garcia (Spa), S Torrance (Sco), T Johnstone (Zim), J. Hall (Eng), B Dassu (It), B McColl (Sco), S Stull (US).
74 T Price (Wal), M Miller (Sco), T Giedeon (Ger), M Bembridge (Eng), M Thomas (US), J Hoskison (Eng), R Drummond (Sco) ; D Russell (Eng), M Kierstenson (Eng), R Stelten (US), S Owen (NZ), T Charnley (Eng).
75 B Lendzion (US), T Linskey (Aus), D Good (Aus), J Chillas (Sco), P Molteni (Ita).
76 A Sowa (Arg), D Cambridge (Jam), J Mashego (RSA), B Longmuir (Sco), B Larratt (Eng).
77 J Heggarty (NIr), K Spurgeon (Eng).
79 A Fernandez (Chi) .
80 H Woodrome (US).
81 A Bownes (Eng).