FRASER MANN FOUR SHOTS BEHIND LEADER WOLSTENHOLME

By Neil Ahern
European Tour Assistant Press Officer
Fraser Mann’s turbulent opening round at the Benahavis Senior Masters, which saw him card seven birdies and five bogeys, left him just four shots off the lead set by Gary Wolstenholme in Spain.
The Haddington player’s two under par round of 69, which included just six pars, meant he shared sixth place with six other players at La Quinta Golf and Country Club in the Benahavis region of Spain's Costa del Sol.
His bogey-birdie-bogey start was a sign of things to come as another bogey at the fifth was followed by four consecutive birdies which took him through the front nine with a two under par 33, before two birdies and two bogeys on a level par back nine.
Ross Drummond was a shot further back on tied 13th after a one under par 70 while Bill Longmuir and Gordon Brand junior were tied 37th after two over par rounds of 73.
Gary Wolstenholme, meanwhile, soared to the overnight lead after a six under par round of 65.
The Englishman is chasing his first win of the 2011 European Senior Tour season and is also in pole position for the Rookie of the Year award and he did his chances of clinching both accolades no harm as he tore up the front nine on the way to his one shot lead.
His five birdies in a flawless front nine included a run of three on the trot from the eight hole and while he did bogey the 13th hole, birdies on the 14th and the 17th atoned for that and saw him take to the summit, above second placed Adan Sowa.
The Argentinian shot to the top of the leaderboard earlier in the day after he holed an eight iron approach for an eagle two at the 451 yard par four third hole and he followed that up with three consecutive birdies on the eighth, ninth and tenth before cancelling out a bogey on the 13th with a birdie on the 14th to card a five under par 66.
Mark Mouland sat a shot behind after a bogey-free round which meant that he has gone three rounds without a single blemish, following his win at the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal a fortnight ago.
Mark James was in fifth place after a three under par round of 68 which included six birdies while Barry Lane finished tied 13th after a one under par 70 as he tries to close the gap on Senior Tour Order of Merit leader Peter Fowler, who finished the opening round in Spain with a one over par 72 to sit tied 31st.

FIRST ROUND
Par 71
65 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 
66 J Gould (Eng), A Sowa (Arg) 
67 M Mouland (Wal) 
68 M James (Eng)
69 J Davila (Esp), G Brand (Eng) , B Lincoln (RSA), E Rodriguez (Esp), J Harrison (Eng), T Thelen (USA), F Mann (Sco) 
70 A Franco (Par) , R Drummond (Sco) , B Cameron (Eng) , D Hospital (Esp) , C Rocca (Ita) , C Mason (Eng) , D Johnson (USA) , J Cañizares (Esp) , B Lane (Eng) , S Van Vuuren (RSA) , D O'Sullivan (Irl)
71 M Belsham (Eng) , J Quiros (Esp) , P Mitchell (Eng) , A Sherborne (Eng) , D Durnian (Eng) , T Johnstone (Zim) , G Manson (Aut) 
72 B Smit (RSA) , T Charnley (Eng) , P Fowler (Aus) , G Ryall (Eng) , R Chapman (Eng) , M Moreno (Esp)
73 G Brand junior (Sco) , C Williams (RSA) , F Illouz (Fra) , J Rhodes (Eng) , J Heggarty (Nir) , J Bruner (USA) , S Bennett (Eng) , J Stansberry (USA) , T Giedeon (Ger) , B Longmuir (Sco)
74 M Piñero (Esp) , J Sallat (Fra) , L Carbonetti (Arg) , G Banister (Aus) , D Smyth (Irl) , P Dahlberg (Swe)
75 P Allan (Eng) , D Cambridge (Jam) , J Hall (Eng) , A Oldcorn (Sco) , C Grenier (Aut) , G Ralph (Eng) , M Gray (Sco)
76 N Job (Eng) , B Lendzion (USA) , J Rivero (Esp) , J Stuart (USA)
77 T Burgoyne (Sco) , K Spurgeon (Eng)
78 A Garrido (Esp) , S Ruiz (Esp) , S Cipa (Eng) , M Bembridge (Eng)
79 H Carbonetti (Arg)
81 T Horton (Eng)
82 J Chillas (Sco), V Garcia (Esp) 
** B Queipo De Llano (am) (Esp)