COSSINS AND FALLON SHARE EUROPRO TOUR LEAD

PGA EUROPRO TOUR NEWS RELEASE

By NICK TEALE

Charlie Cossins and Scott Fallon share a one-stroke lead at the Veka and Network Veka UK Open 2012 after shooting four-under-par 68s in the opening round at De Vere Wychwood Park.

Daniel Perrett and Steven Capper lie just behind the leaders after carding 69s and nine golfers are two shots off the lead on two under.

Cossins (Bath Golf Club) has missed the cut at each of the three 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour events he has played so far this season but commenced his opening round at Wychwood Park with four pars before he suffered a setback with a bogey at the fourth. He made amends with a two at the sixth to return to level par and made inroads on the back nine.

A three at the 10th was followed by a two at 11 and another birdie three at the 12th to take his round to three under par. A four at the par-five last enabled him to sign for a four-under-par 68 and claim a share of the lead at the end of day one.

Fallon (Lightning Packaging and Supplies Ltd) made six birdies and two bogeys on his way to 68. He opened with a four at the first to immediately drop below par but bogeyed the fifth. Birdies at seven, eight and 10 were followed by a bogey at 11 but a four at twelve saw him return to three under. He negotiated the next five holes to par and ended his round with a four at the 18th to join Cossins on four under.

Perrett (Purplegolf.com) completed a flawless opening round in 69 strokes. He started at the 10th and made eight pars on his front nine, with a birdie three at 14 taking him below par. Turning home he immediately gained another shot at the first and moved to three under when he made three at the fifth.

Capper (Caldy Golf Club) also started at the 10th but was two over six holes into his first round after bogey fives at 14 and 15. He pulled a shot back with a four at 18 and returned to level par with a birdie at the first. Birdies at three, seven and eight also contributed to a four-under-par back-nine performance and the Wirral golfer signed for 69.

With nine golfers two shots off the lead after first-round 70s and a further 11 on one under, the Veka and Network Veka UK Open 2012 looks set to continue a season of closely-run tournaments on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The second round commences at 7:30am on Thursday (August 23). Spectator entry is free throughout the week and live scoring is available at www.europrotour.com.
 LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
68 Charlie  Cossins (Bath), Scott Fallon (Eng)
69 Daniel Perrett (England), Steve Capper (Caldy)

SCOTS' SCORES

70 Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) (T5)
73 Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy), Mark Kerr (unatt) (T36)
74 Chris Kelly (Cawder), Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar), Zack Saltman (Archerfield Links), Wallace Booth (Comrie), John Gallagher (Turnhouse) (T56)
75 Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links) (T78).
76 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) (T95)
77 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), Myles Cunningham (Longniddry) (T109.