Four share PGA Seniors Championship lead

PGA NEWS RELEASE 

In-form Australian Peter Fowler picked up where he left off in Jersey as he galloped to a share of the lead with English duo Carl Mason and Gary Emerson and France’s Jean Pierre Sallat at the ISPS HANDA PGA Seniors Championship.

Fowler, fresh from his victory in the Channel Islands last week, carded a flawless three-under-par 68 over the Lee Westwood Colt Course at Close House to put another marker down. 

Emerson, seeking his first Senior Tour victory, joined the Antipodean shortly afterwards before Mason, a three-time winner of the championship and the Tour’s most decorated player, and Sallat joined them late in the afternoon after a sun-kissed summer’s day in Northumberland.

Fowler, who celebrated his 56^th birthday, opened his bid for back-to-back victories with a birdie on the par-five first, his only net gain on the front nine, before adding to his tally at the par four 14^th and par five 16^th. 

“You can’t tweak every course, but the way it is set up is really good here,” he said.

“I started well. I had a really good drive off the first, that ran up a long way and then I hit a five iron to two foot for a birdie. You settle in to the round quicker after a start like that. I had a couple of birdies towards the end to finish nicely. I had a couple of long putts but managed to get par on them. 

“On the 18th I was 100ft away which is always a bit dodgy on any hole, so it was hard to get close to ten foot from that range. But it was nice to finish with a par from there because it will cause problems.”

Emerson, starting on the 10^th, opened his round with a birdie on the 11^th and added another at the 16^th which cancelled out the bogey on 14 to turn in 34. 

His back nine was much more productive with birdies at the first, sixth and eighth with the only blot coming at the fifth for his 68.

“I played poorly last week, my attitude wasn’t very good, this week hopefully I can carry on like I started today,” he said. 

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’ve been doing and see where I end up. If I get a chance at the end of the week then all well and good.

“It’s a very tricky course, in very good condition, and a lot of patience is needed. I’m pleased as I played solid and putted a lot better than I did last week. 

“I just tried to play fairly conservatively and just get the ball into position and try and get somewhere on the green and then walk to the next.”

Mason got off to a flyer with three birdies in his first four holes. His progress was checked with a bogey at the sixth but he added another birdie at the eight to be three-under at the turn.

He slipped back with another dropped shot at the 13, but coolly slotted home a birdie on the difficult 18^th to cap a fine start to the week. 

“I didn’t know what to expect really as I’ve only played the course in the pro-am and luckily I remembered where I should hit it and where not to hit it and got off to a great start,” said Mason, a winner of 25 European Senior Tour titles.

“I holed some nice putts – three in a row – and I was three-under after four which was a shock, a nice shock. I hit it steady all the way through and I was pleased with that. 

“That’s a tough hole (the 18^th). You can hit a good shot there and go through the green and I was making sure I didn’t go through. It’s just a good finishing hole, a good tough par three and the birdie was nice to finish.”
First Round leading scores


Pos         Score                     Name (Country)
1=           68 (-3)                   Peter Fowler (Aus)
                                                Gary Emerson (Eng)

                                                Carl Mason (Eng)

                                                Jean Pierre Sallat (Fra)
5=           69 (-2)                   Steen Tinning (Den)

                                                Gordon Manson (Aut)

                                                DJ Russell (Eng)

                                                Miguel Angel Martin (Spa)

                                                Peter Scott (Eng)

                                                Jorge Berendt (Arg)

Full list of scores, entries and event information can be found at:
 http://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi15/event/pgagbi15299/index.htm