Irishman setting the pace in Scottish Seniors Open

No lottery for Des Smyth, he's
Dalmahoy leader with a 68

By COLIN CALLANDER
Ireland’s Des Smyth saw his son Greg win £7.5 million in a recent Irish Lottery and now he has a great chance to claim a £33,750 windfall of his own after carding a four-under-par 68 to open a one shot lead at the end of the first round of Scottish Seniors Open over the East course at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club near Edinburgh.
The 55 year old from Drogheda in Co. Louth produced three birdies and a sensational eagle 3 on the 500yd 10th to go into the second round one shot ahead of Spain’s Domingo Hospital and two in front on an international quintet comprising Scotland’s Bill Longmuir, Chile’s Angel Fernandez, Italy’s Costantino Rocca and America’s Jerry Bruner and Bob Boyd.
Local favourite Sam Torrance opened his account with a battling one under par 71 to share eighth place with Simon Owen, Jim Lapsley, Kevin Spurgeon, Peter Mitchell and 2007 European Seniors Tour Number One Carl Mason.
But it was a different story for 2007 Scottish Seniors Open champion José Rivero who struggled to a two over par 74 to finish the opening day back in a share of 29th place.
“Greg has been hogging most of the headlines so it would be nice to make a few of my own,” said Smyth who has recently committed himself to the European Seniors Tour after spending six years on the Champions Tour in America where he won twice in 2005.
“America is no place to be when you’re playing poorly and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for most of the season. But I’ve been working hard on flattening my swing and today was an awful lot better.
“I started fast with birdies on the third and the fourth but the highlight of the day was a three wood to within four feet of the pin on the 10th.
“That’s as good a shot as I can hit and it’s certainly one of the best I’ve had for a while.”
Smyth’s nearest challenger is 50 year old Spaniard Domingo Hospital who once worked as a commercial pilot on the Costa del Sol while struggling to get onto The European Tour back in the 1980s. He finally made it when he became the Tour’s oldest rookie at the age of 34 and this year, in his maiden season on the Seniors Tour, he has already claimed a second place behind Ian Woosnam at the Parkridge Polish Seniors Championship and a tie for third at the Azores Seniors Tour.
“It’s great to be out here on the Seniors Tour and to meet a lot of people I haven’t seen for a while,” he said.
“I had to work very hard to pay the bills before I made it to The European Tour so I know how lucky I am to be here.”
There are a dozen Scots in this week’s field at Dalmahoy and after the opening 18 holes the leader among them is Longmuir who holds a one shot lead over Torrance after a fine 70 left him in a share of third place.
The Kent-based Scot birdied both the third and seventh but like Smyth produced his best shot of the day on the long 10th where he pitched in from 55yd to record a precious eagle.
“That was the shot that got me going,” said Longmuir, who won this year’s DGM Barbados Open at Royal Westmoreland.
“I’ve played well for most of the season but I can’t put my finger on why I’ve been finishing third one week and 30th the next.
“If I can work that out there’s no reason why I can’t challenge over the weekend,” he added.
Torrance pronounced himself content with his 71 but admitted it could have been a little bit better but for a bogey 5 at the last where he missed the green and then failed to get up and down.
“I played well but I’m disappointed that I dropped a shot at the last,” said the former Ryder Cup captain who has won several times at Dalmahoy, most recently at this championship in 2006.
“When you do that it always leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth,” he added.
FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
68 D Smyth (Ire).
69 D Hospital (Spa).
70 C Rocca (Ita), A Fernandez (Chi), J Bruner (US), B Longmuir (Sco), B Boyd (US).
71 C Mason (Eng), S Torrance (Sco), S Owen (NZ), K Spurgeon (Eng), P Mitchell (Eng), J Lapsley (NZ).
72 E Darcy (Ire), N Ratcliffe (Aus), B Marchbank (Sco), P Harrison (Eng), T Price (Wal), E Polland (NIr).
73 B Larratt (Eng), D Cambridge (Jam), B Heuchan (Can), G Cali (Ita), B McColl (Sco), J Quiros (Spa) ; J Hoskison (Eng), A Murray (Eng), M Bembridge (Eng).
74 J Rivero (Spa) ; D O'Sullivan (Ire), R Drummond (Sco), T Charnley (Eng) ; G Brand (Eng) ; A Sowa (Arg) ; T Johnstone (Zim) ; T Allen (Eng) ; B Cameron (Eng), G Brand Jnr (Sco) ; N Job (Eng) ;
75 T Horton (Eng) ; D Merriman (Aus) ; G Watine (Fra) ; P Dugeny (Fra) ; E Rodriguez (Esp) ; D Durnian (Eng) ; J Rhodes (Eng) ; M Gray (Sco) ; J Hall (Eng) ; M Briggs (Eng) ; J Benda (USA) ; P Oakley (US) ; B Lincoln (RSA) ; B Stewart (Sco) (am).
76 G Encina (Chi) ; I Mosey (Eng) ; M Poxon (Eng) ; D Russell (Eng) ;
77 A Garrido (Spa), D Good (Aus) ; S Martin (Sco).
78 V Garcia (Spa), J Heggarty (Nir) ; L Carbonetti (Arg).
79 M Miller (Sco) ; M Piñero (Esp), J Chillas (Sco), T Rastall (Eng) ; R Carrasco (USA) ;
80 B Hardwick (Can) ; L Higgins (Irl) ;
81 B Lockie (Sco), J Sallat (Fra), H Carbonetti (Arg).
82 J Cañizares (Esp).