LOW SCORING AT FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS

                           Cesar Monasterio in action today. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c).
Hail, Cesar! 61 fires Monasterio clear  

Cesar Monasterio equalled the lowest round in European Senior Tour history as a spell-binding 11 under par 61 handed the Argentinian the first round lead at the SSE Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews.
Playing in his first season in the Senior ranks having turned 50 last November, Monasterio fired an unblemished nine birdies and an eagle to finish the day three clear of Japan’s Katsuyoshi Tomori, who also excelled with an eight under par 64 in calm conditions.
On a day of low winds and even lower scoring on the east coast of Scotland, where 40 of the 72 man field broke par, San Miguel de Tucuman native Monasterio put the Torrance Course to the sword and with it equalled the exploits of Scotland’s Andrew Oldcorn, who also shot an 11 under par 61 during in Germany last year.
Having birdied the short third hole, big-hitting Monasterio drove the par four fifth green and sank the remaining 50-foot putt for a stunning eagle and a red-hot start.
Two further gains followed at the sixth and eighth holes as Monasterio reached the turn in just 30 blows, before a run of four straight birdies from the tenth hole meant, at one stage, a 59 was a genuine possibility.
Pars at the 14th and 15th tempered that bid before he found an eighth birdie of the day at the 16th and, despite missing a short putt for a ninth at the following hole, Monasterio finished in style with a birdie at the long closing hole for superb 61 and a place in the history books.
“I am enjoying the Senior Tour, especially today with no wind!” said Monasterio, who won his only European Tour title at the 2006 St Omer Open. 
"I didn't drive very well today but my second shots, my irons, and my putting were very good. I had 27 putts."
Monasterio, who still plays on the Challenge Tour occasionally, finished tied fourth in his debut at the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship in June and is this week making just his fourth Senior Tour start.
He added: "I played in South America a lot last year to prepare for the Senior Tour in Europe and this was always one of my big aims to play well here as it is a great Tour with great players.”Former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam started solidly with a four under par 68, a score matched by 2013 Rookie of the Year Steen Tinning, one shot better than England's Barry Lane, who is looking to make it a hat-trick of Scottish Senior Open titles this week in St Andrews.
Leading the home challenge, meanwhile, were Gordon Brand Jnr and Ross Drummond, who both shot three under par rounds of 69, while defending champion Santiago Luna finished with a 74 amongst a small group of 23 players over par

FIRST ROUND SCORES
par 72
61 C Monasterio (Arg) 
64 K Tomori (Jpn) 
65 G Ryall (Eng)  
66 M Davis (Eng) , T Thelen (USA) , J Smith (USA)  
67 R Gibson (Can) , G Rusnak (USA)  
68 P Linhart (Esp) , J Remesy (Fra) , S Tinning (Den) , I Woosnam (Wal)  
69 G Brand Jnr (Sco) , G Manson (Aut) , K Spurgeon (Eng) , R Drummond (Sco) , C Mason (Eng) , B Lane (Eng) , M Harwood (Aus)  
70 D Russell (Eng) , P Wesselingh (Eng) , B Conser (USA) , J Spence (Eng) , P Eales (Eng) , D Smyth (Irl) , A Oldcorn (Sco) , A Sherborne (Eng) , S Brown (Eng) , M James (Eng)  
71 B Cameron (Eng) , C Williams (Eng) , P Curry (Eng) , S Cipa (Eng) , N Job (Eng) , T Johnstone (Zim) , A Franco (Par) , M Mouland (Wal) , S Torrance (Sco) , G Wolstenholme (Eng) , A Murray (Eng)
 72 R Rafferty (Nir) , J Sallat (Fra) , M Farry (Fra) , M Bianco (Ita) , P Golding (Eng) , M Martin (Esp) , P Fowler (Aus) , P Walton (Irl) , J Gould (Eng) ,
 73 B Longmuir (Sco) , L Carbonetti (Arg) , S McAllister (Sco) , J Carriles (Esp) , M Piñero (Esp) , D Durnian (Eng) , A Bossert (Sui) ,
 74 K Hutton (Sco) , M McLean (Eng) , T Price (Aus) , S Luna (Esp) , M Mackenzie (Eng) , M Cunning (USA) , W Grant (Eng)
 75 J Bruner (USA) , P Jonas (Can) , D O'Sullivan (Irl)
 76 G Emerson (Eng) , V Garcia (Esp)
 77 G Brand (Eng)
 78 N Ratcliffe (Aus) , G Ralph (Eng)
 79 A Garrido (Esp)



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