JAMES FINDS PUTTING TOUCH TO LRSF PGA SENIORS AT SLALEY HALL
PRESS RELEASE
Former Ryder Cup captain Mark James lists science fiction among his interests and admitted there was an element of the unexplained about the rediscovery of his putting stroke which catapulted him into the lead in the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship.
The 58 year old revealed a superb touch on the greens to card a first round 67 to seize a one stroke lead at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland.
"I suddenly started putting well on the last day last week," said James who last week also carded three successive 67s on his way to finishing joint runner up to Gary Wolstenholme in the Benahavis Senior Masters.
"It came out of nowhere really. Today the stroke was great. It felt simple, from three feet it felt pure, easy and rhythmical. That's not that normal for me. It makes a huge difference to my game if I start putting well.
"I'm coming off two very bad years with the putter so it's a good sign. I read a really good book by Bob Rotella which said if you hole putts on the putting green and miss them on the course it is mental, but if you can't hole them on the putting green it is technical.
"That put my mind at rest that it wasn't mental and so I know now that if I'm putting badly it's because of my stroke."
James is searching for his first European Senior Tour win since defeating Eamonn Darcy in a play-off in Mallorca in 2009 but Slaley Hall's Hunting Course hasn't always been a happy one.
"They were decent scores last week but round this course 67 is very good. I've not got good record around here so I need every inch out of every round," he said.
At five under par, James is one shot clear of compatriot Bob Cameron, who also posted six birdies in his round of 68. Jeff Hall, playing in difficult drizzly afternoon conditions, sits third a stroke further back.
Cameron recorded his joint best finish of 2011 in this event last year, sharing fifth place, and is hoping for another strong performance this week.
"I'm extremely pleased to be four under after the first round," said the 59 year old. "I nearly dropped a shot on the last but managed to hole a swinging six footer, so I'm very pleased.
Defending champion Andrew Oldcorn posted a level par 72 but the leading Scot was former Senior PGA Professional champion Peter Smith with a 70 for a share fourth alongside another PGA pro, Woodcote Park's Wraith Grant, and four others.
Smith made a blistering start with a hat-trick of birdies from the second but bogeyed the last two holes.
"I have been struggling this year so it was nice to have a good round," said Smith.
"I hit the ball really well tee to green and if I had a putting touch it could have been a really good score. I three putted from 10 feet on 17 and left myself with a really difficult chip on 18."
Smith, who won the Senior PGA Professional Championship in 2011, is making a rare competitive outing this year, having decided to channel much of his energies into coaching.
"I have 18 private clients and they sign up for three months and we go and play golf," he said.
"Most amateurs have a tough time learning how to swing a club and if they do get their game together on the driving range it is a totally different thing trying to get a ball round the course.
"I have had a career out of trying to take the game from the range to the course and that's what I work on with my clients.
"It is about managing yourself on the course, which we have to do every day."
Three time PGA Seniors champion Carl Mason is at level par as are Barry Lane and Gary Wolstenholme, winner of the opening two events on the European Senior Tour, and GB and I PGA Cup players Paul Wesselingh and George Ryall and America's Tim Thelen.
Aberdeen's Peter A Smith began his challenge at the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship with a two under par 70 to lie three shots behind first round leader Mark James at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland. The 52 year old, who is attached to Deeside Golf Club, carded a hat-trick of birdies from the second hole and picked up further shots on the 10th, 12th and 15th holes. However, having dropped shots on the ninth and 13th holes, he finished with back-to-back bogeys to end the day in a share of fourth position.
“I just knocked it close and holed putts, it was as simple as that,” he said. "I have been struggling this year, I haven’t played well at all so it was nice to have a good round under the belt but I still putted poorly.
"My putting has just not been on form, I hit the ball really well tee to green and if I had a putting touch today it could have been a really good score. I three putted from 10 feet on 17 and left myself with a really difficult chip on 18.”
Former Ryder Cup Captain James posted six birdies before dropping his only shot of the day on the last hole for a five under par 67 – his fourth consecutive 67 in tournament play on the European Senior Tour.
He is one shot clear of Bob Cameron, with Smith the leading Scot on two under par. Scot Alastair Webster is one shot further back following a 71, with defending champion Andrew Oldcorn level par after a 72.
Gordon Brand Jnr, twice a runner up at De Vere Slaley Hall, signed for a one over par 73, the same as Ross Drummond, while 2002 Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance double bogeyed the last for a three over par 75.
FIRST ROUND SCORES PAR 72
Full scoreboard here http://www.europeantour.com/seniortour/season=2012/tournamentid=2012846/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y
Former Ryder Cup captain Mark James lists science fiction among his interests and admitted there was an element of the unexplained about the rediscovery of his putting stroke which catapulted him into the lead in the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship.
The 58 year old revealed a superb touch on the greens to card a first round 67 to seize a one stroke lead at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland.
"I suddenly started putting well on the last day last week," said James who last week also carded three successive 67s on his way to finishing joint runner up to Gary Wolstenholme in the Benahavis Senior Masters.
"It came out of nowhere really. Today the stroke was great. It felt simple, from three feet it felt pure, easy and rhythmical. That's not that normal for me. It makes a huge difference to my game if I start putting well.
"I'm coming off two very bad years with the putter so it's a good sign. I read a really good book by Bob Rotella which said if you hole putts on the putting green and miss them on the course it is mental, but if you can't hole them on the putting green it is technical.
"That put my mind at rest that it wasn't mental and so I know now that if I'm putting badly it's because of my stroke."
James is searching for his first European Senior Tour win since defeating Eamonn Darcy in a play-off in Mallorca in 2009 but Slaley Hall's Hunting Course hasn't always been a happy one.
"They were decent scores last week but round this course 67 is very good. I've not got good record around here so I need every inch out of every round," he said.
At five under par, James is one shot clear of compatriot Bob Cameron, who also posted six birdies in his round of 68. Jeff Hall, playing in difficult drizzly afternoon conditions, sits third a stroke further back.
Cameron recorded his joint best finish of 2011 in this event last year, sharing fifth place, and is hoping for another strong performance this week.
"I'm extremely pleased to be four under after the first round," said the 59 year old. "I nearly dropped a shot on the last but managed to hole a swinging six footer, so I'm very pleased.
Defending champion Andrew Oldcorn posted a level par 72 but the leading Scot was former Senior PGA Professional champion Peter Smith with a 70 for a share fourth alongside another PGA pro, Woodcote Park's Wraith Grant, and four others.
Smith made a blistering start with a hat-trick of birdies from the second but bogeyed the last two holes.
"I have been struggling this year so it was nice to have a good round," said Smith.
"I hit the ball really well tee to green and if I had a putting touch it could have been a really good score. I three putted from 10 feet on 17 and left myself with a really difficult chip on 18."
Smith, who won the Senior PGA Professional Championship in 2011, is making a rare competitive outing this year, having decided to channel much of his energies into coaching.
"I have 18 private clients and they sign up for three months and we go and play golf," he said.
"Most amateurs have a tough time learning how to swing a club and if they do get their game together on the driving range it is a totally different thing trying to get a ball round the course.
"I have had a career out of trying to take the game from the range to the course and that's what I work on with my clients.
"It is about managing yourself on the course, which we have to do every day."
Three time PGA Seniors champion Carl Mason is at level par as are Barry Lane and Gary Wolstenholme, winner of the opening two events on the European Senior Tour, and GB and I PGA Cup players Paul Wesselingh and George Ryall and America's Tim Thelen.
Aberdeen's Peter A Smith began his challenge at the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship with a two under par 70 to lie three shots behind first round leader Mark James at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland. The 52 year old, who is attached to Deeside Golf Club, carded a hat-trick of birdies from the second hole and picked up further shots on the 10th, 12th and 15th holes. However, having dropped shots on the ninth and 13th holes, he finished with back-to-back bogeys to end the day in a share of fourth position.
“I just knocked it close and holed putts, it was as simple as that,” he said. "I have been struggling this year, I haven’t played well at all so it was nice to have a good round under the belt but I still putted poorly.
"My putting has just not been on form, I hit the ball really well tee to green and if I had a putting touch today it could have been a really good score. I three putted from 10 feet on 17 and left myself with a really difficult chip on 18.”
Former Ryder Cup Captain James posted six birdies before dropping his only shot of the day on the last hole for a five under par 67 – his fourth consecutive 67 in tournament play on the European Senior Tour.
He is one shot clear of Bob Cameron, with Smith the leading Scot on two under par. Scot Alastair Webster is one shot further back following a 71, with defending champion Andrew Oldcorn level par after a 72.
Gordon Brand Jnr, twice a runner up at De Vere Slaley Hall, signed for a one over par 73, the same as Ross Drummond, while 2002 Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance double bogeyed the last for a three over par 75.
FIRST ROUND SCORES PAR 72
67 M James (Eng) ,
68 B Cameron (Eng) ,
69 J Hall (Eng) ,
70 C Williams (RSA) , P Smith (Sco) , T Elliott (Aus) , W Grant (Eng) , R Gibson (Can) , A Forsbrand (Swe) ,
71 S Bennett (Eng) , P Mitchell (Eng) , A Webster (Sco) , D Merriman (Aus) , D Hospital (Esp) ,
72 G Banister (Aus) , G Wolstenholme (Eng) , P Fowler (Aus) , P Wesselingh (Eng) , A Murray (Eng) , G Ryall (Eng) , A Oldcorn (Sco) , B Lane (Eng) , M Farry (Fra) , T Thelen (USA) , E Darcy (Irl) , C Mason (Eng) , G Manson (Aut) , J Gould (Eng) , M Mouland (Wal) ,
73 B Rumney (Eng) , S Van Vuuren (RSA) , G Brand Jnr (Sco) , R Drummond (Sco) , D Cambridge (Jam) ,
74 M Belsham (Eng) , H Carbonetti (Arg) , S Cipa (Eng) , D Russell (Eng) , R Masters (Eng) , D Smyth (Irl) , P Walton (Irl) , C Elliott (Sco) , M Harwood (Aus) , J Sallat (Fra) , G Norquist (USA) ,
75 G Brand (Eng) , J King (Eng) , S McNally (Eng) , P Carman (Eng) , B Hardwick (Can) , M Martin (Esp) , S Torrance (Sco) , M Stokes (Eng) , S McAllister (Sco) , K Tarling (Can) ,
76 T Price (Aus) , J Heggarty (Nir) , A Sherborne (Eng) , J Harrison (Eng) , D Padgett (Eng) , A Fernandez (Chi) , B Lincoln (RSA) , D O'Sullivan (Irl) , D James (Sco) , P Allan (Eng) ,
77 T Allen (Eng) , T Charnley (Eng) , K Spurgeon (Eng) , T Burgoyne (Sco) , M Kierstenson (Eng) , C Grenier (Aut) , G Bothwell (Eng) , N Ratcliffe (Aus) , R Weir (Sco) , P Harrison (Eng) , G Stubbington (Eng) , 78 D Wettlaufer (Can) , G Ralph (Eng) , J Quiros (Esp) , B Smit (RSA) , F Mann (Sco) , G Davies (Wal) , M Piñero (Esp) , D Durnian (Eng) ,
79 G Townhill (Eng) , R Roper (Eng) , R Green (Eng) , D Gavrilovic (Eng) , G Krause (Eng) , K Phillips (Eng) , N Job (Eng) , B Longmuir (Sco) , L Fickling (Eng) , M Gallagher (Eng) , M White (Sco) , P O'Hagan (Irl) , L Turner (Eng) , T Stevens (Eng) , M Cunning (USA) ,
80 C Haynes (Eng) , C Bolling (USA) , P Horrobin (Jam) , J Mathews (Eng) , R Webster (Eng) ,
81 J Murphy (Eng) , B Stevens (Eng) , K Baxter (Sco) ,
82 R Davis (Aus) , S Ball (Eng) , P Barber (Eng) , P Dugeny (Fra) , M Briggs (Eng) , G Harvey (Sco) , M Miller (Sco) ,
83 G Laing (Eng) , J Bruner (USA) , N Mitchell (Eng) , I Parker (Sco) , C Hall (Eng) ,
87 S Harrison (Eng) ,
Labels: Pro seniors
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, June 07, 2012
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