£43,000 Lombard Trophy Grand Final over Centenary Course

Paisley pair only three off the pace after first 

day at Gleneagles

Paisley Golf Club professional Andrew Carlton and his two-handicap amateur member partner David Walker shot a four-under-par 68 to be lying fifth - only three off the pace = at the halfway stage of the £43,000 Lombard Trophy tournament, contested by 16 pairings who have come through to contest the Grand Final over the Centenary Course at Gleneagles.
Joint leaders on 65 are Andrew Willey (Bulwell Castle) and plus 1 handicap amateur Mark Disney, alongside the Channels Golf Club pairing of Jason Levermore and amateur Ben Steed.
Three Scots pairings are in the field and Crow Wood's Ian Graham and amateur Ctaig Taylor, who plays off five,  are in eighth place on 71 while Ranfurly Castle's Tom Eckford and amateur David Stewart, who has 20 of a handicap, are in 16th place with an 80.

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LOMBARD TROPHY

TOURNAMENT RELEASE FROM PGA

DISNEY DAZZLES AT GOLF’S MAGIC KINGDOM TO LEAD LOMBARD TROPHY CHARGE

By LEE McLAUGHLAN

Gleneagles became Disneyland for a handful of minutes during the first round of the Europe’s largest pro-am, the Lombard Trophy.

That was when Bulwell Forest’s Mick Disney, Andrew Willey’s amateur partner, followed up a drive and four iron at the 16^th hole on the PGA Centenary Course with a 40 foot putt for an eagle.

It took the duo to seven-under, heading the 16-strong field in pursuit of the £12,000 pro winner’s cheque until Channels pair Jason Levermore and Ben Steed joined them in pole position.

In fairness, the PGA’s playability test for potential pros would be a walk in the park for Disney, given that he plays off plus one.

Which perhaps is why his party piece at the 543-yard 16^th on the stage where Europe gave the USA a golfing lesson almost a year ago was treated as almost an everyday occurrence by the men from Nottinghamshire.

“We had an eagle at the 16^th,” said Disney, without revealing he was responsible, when asked as to what were the highlights of their round.

“Andrew had a few birdies out there as well and we missed a few chances. But overall we had a good round.”

The eagle more than compensated for the pair’s solitary blemish – a bogey at the par four 13^th – taking them from five to seven-under.

“We’d had three or four good chances before that and missed them,” said Willey, a former European Tour player, “so Michael’s eagle hauled back into the game.”

Meanwhile, Levermore and Steed’s negotiation of the Jack Nicklaus-designed course lacked a similarly spectacular highlight but was equally effective.

The Essex men representing the club located near Chelmsford also recorded one bogey – at the par three sixth – but ended with a flourish, especially at the par three 17^th.

Four of their eight birdies came on the back nine and Levermore said: “I holed a 35 footer on the 17^th for a two but that was about it in terms of highlights. Overall we gelled nicely today and both contributed. We’ll be looking for more of the same tomorrow.”