MONTY IN THE SENIOR PICTURE AT HAPPY HUNTING GROUND
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Only
an unfortunate bogey at the last stopped European Senior Tour rookie
Colin Montgomerie from grabbing a share of the lead following an
intriguing first round at the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters at
Woburn Golf Club.
The
eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winning Scot played an
unblemished 17 holes before failing to get up and down from in front of
the green at the par four last to finish a sunny, fine first day with a
four under par 68, one shot
shy of Argentina’s Luis Carbonetti, the 2004 Senior Masters Champion.
Also
at four under following the first round was South African Steve van
Vuuren, while the trio of former Ryder Cup Captain Mark James, Ireland’s
Philip Walton and Englishman Andrew Sherborne all signed off with three
under par 69s for
a share of fourth place heading into the weekend at Woburn.
With
the Duke’s Course bathed in glorious sunshine, around 7,000 fans
flocked to the venue which is this week hosting the Travis Perkins plc
Senior Masters for a 13th successive edition and Montgomerie, billed as
the star attraction in
just his third Senior Tour appearance, did not disappoint, firing four
birdies in his first six holes to reach the turn in 33.
Driving
superbly all day on the often narrow, tree-lined layout, a fifth gain
of the day followed at the tenth to send Montgomerie top alongside
morning starter Carbonetti, but seven straight pars preceded an unlucky
conclusion as he bogeyed
the last after missing his first fairway of the day at the 356-yard
18th hole.
“It
could have been a lot better obviously,” said a philosophical
Montgomerie. “I was five under after ten and didn’t make another birdie
with two reachable par fives to come and it was the relatively easy 18th
that I messed up.
“But
it’s safe. You don’t win here in the first round, just get into a good
position to move forward and that’s what I’ve done so all-in-all I’m
quite satisfied.”
Montgomerie
has had some excellent performances on the Duke’s Course over the
years, having finished in the top ten on four occasions at Woburn in the
British Masters between 1994 and 2000 and he said his straight-hitting
had paid off once
again.
“I
think it is a golf course that suits my eye,” he continued. “I hit most
fairways and if you do that then you usually score well around here.
“The conditioning of the course is superb, I’ve played here a dozen times or more and this is the best I’ve ever seen it.”
Carbonetti,
who nine years ago completed a two-shot triumph at Woburn in this
tournament, played in the opening grouping of the day and negated the
chilly early conditions with some accurate striking of his own to sign
for a five under
par 67.
The 60 year old missed only one
fairway all day – at the 16th where he made his one and only bogey –
while all his five birdies, including an excellent effort at the last,
came from within ten feet.
He said: “I was straight down the middle all day long, it’s one of the best rounds I’ve ever had at Woburn.
“Nine years ago was by far the best tournament of my life and hopefully after that start I can hope to try to repeat that.”
Two-time Senior Masters winner Carl
Mason is three off the lead following the opening exchanges after a two
under par 70, while defending champion Des Smyth, also looking to
complete a hat-trick of victories this week, struggled to find
his best golf in a one over par 73.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
par 72
67 L Carbonetti (Arg) ,
68 S Van Vuuren (RSA) , C Montgomerie (Sco)
69 M James (Eng) , P Walton (Irl) , A Sherborne (Eng)
70 J Spence (Eng) , R Drummond (Sco) , R Gibson (Can) , J Quiros (Esp) , C Mason (Eng)
71
A Oldcorn (Sco) , T Thelen (USA) , J Bruner (USA) , P Golding (Eng) , J
Rivero (Esp) , C Williams (RSA) , G Ryall (Eng) , M Martin (Esp) , G
Norquist (USA)
72 P Linhart (Esp) , M Farry (Fra) , I Woosnam (Wal) , S Brown (Eng) , T Johnstone (Zim) , M Cunning (USA) ,
73
P Jonas (Can) , M Harwood (Aus) , S Cipa (Eng) , S Torrance (Sco) , D
Smyth (Irl) , B Cameron (Eng) , S Tinning (Den) , A Franco (Par) , S
McAllister (Sco) ,
74 P Wesselingh (Eng) , G
Wolstenholme (Eng) , G Ralph (Eng) , M Kuramoto (Jpn) , R Thompson (USA)
, G Manson (Aut) , P Fowler (Aus) , G Brand Jnr (Sco) ,
75 H Buhrmann (RSA) , T Elliott (Aus)
, S Luna (Esp) , J Harrison (Eng) , K Spurgeon (Eng) , P Mitchell (Eng)
, S Bennett (Eng) , P Curry (Eng) ,
76 G Banister (Aus) , P Barber (Eng) , N Job (Eng) , W Grant (Eng) , C Rocca (Ita) ,
77 T Price (Aus) , A Murray (Eng) , M Piñero (Esp) , D Hospital (Esp) , J Laforce (Can) , D O'Sullivan (Irl) ,
78 A Garrido (Esp) , B Stevens (Eng) , P Eales (Eng) , D Durnian (Eng)
79 J Carriles (Esp) , J Gould (Eng) ,
81 M McLean (Eng)
82 D James (Sco)
85 V Garcia (Esp)
** P Way (Eng)
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Labels: SENIOR PROS
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home