SENIORS' TOURNAMENT REPORT

PHIL GOLDING LEADS FRENCH

RIVIERA MASTERS WITH A 64

Phil Golding carded a superb eight under par 64 to storm to the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the French Riviera Masters seniors' tournament at Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort in Provence.
The Englishman carded eight birdies and did not drop a shot to go into the second round a single shot ahead of compatriot Gary Emerson.
Argentina’s Cesar Monasterio posted a six under par 66 to end the day one shot ahead of Spaniard’s Miguel Angel Martin and Juan Quiros while Australia’s Peter Fowler began the defence of his title by recording a five under par 67 to share sixth place alongside Barry Lane, Simon P Brown, Angel Franco, Rick Gibson, Terry Price, Gary Wolstenholme and Ryder Cup vice-captain Des Smyth.
Golding arrived in France fresh from a second place finish behind Paul Wesselingh at the Winstongolf Senior Open in Germany and he maintained that sort of form by carding four birdies on each nine to card his best round on the European Senior Tour since 2012.
“I learned a lot from Paul Wesselingh last week. I was looking at the stats and I saw he made 15 birdies and no bogeys. I made 19 birdies but also dropped some shots and that’s why I found myself in a play-off against him and Bernhard (Langer).
“I vowed this week that I’d try to minimise my mistakes and that’s what I did today. I played pretty smart stuff. It isn’t every day when you get round without dropping a shot but I hit all 18 greens and that’s always going to help. I also putted well. The greens are really quick and very true.
“There were one or two tough pins but I managed to finish below them and that’s important on this golf course. It’s a game of chess out there. You have to plot your way round.”
Emerson was another player who posted a top-five finish in Germany and also arrived in France full of confidence. He hit a drive and a three wood to 20 feet for an eagle on the first, dropped a shot on the second but then fired six birdies to climb within one shot of the overnight lead.
“It was great to start with an eagle. I hit a good shot on the second but it ran through the back and there’s no shot from there. It’s a course where you have to hit the ball into the right places and I did that today.
“I played lovely. I missed one from a couple of feet for birdie on the 17th but I holed my share of putts as well. The greens here are probably as fast as any we have putted on all season and they are also very true so there are doing to be a lot of low scores over the weekend.
“I had a bad few weeks during the middle of the season but I hit on something in Portugal and then played much better in Germany where I missed the play-off by a single shot. I didn’t touch my clubs at all last week but today I managed to start where I left off. I’m happy and looking forward to tomorrow.”
On a day of low scoring a total of 33 players broke par. Early clubhouse leader Barry Conser shared 14th place with Ross Drummond and Wraith Grant on three under par 69 while John Gould, Domingo Hospital, Pedro Linhart, Bill Longmuir, Gordon Manson, Stephen McAllister, Ronan Rafferty and Tim Thelen are tied in 17th place after posting rounds of 70.         

     

Round One Scores

par 72

64 P Golding (Eng)

65 G Emerson (Eng)

66 C Monasterio (Arg)

67 J Quiros (Esp); M Martin (Esp)

68 A Franco (Par); D Smyth (Irl); P Fowler (Aus); B Lane (Eng); S Brown (Eng); G Wolstenholme (Eng); T Price (Aus); R Gibson (Can)

69 W Grant (Eng); B Conser (USA); R Drummond (Sco);

 70 R Rafferty (Nir); S McAllister (Sco); J Gould (Eng); B Longmuir (Sco); P Linhart (Esp); D Hospital (Esp); G Manson (Aut); T Thelen (USA)

71 B Cameron (Eng); K Spurgeon (Eng); G Turner (Nzl); M Harwood (Aus); J Remesy (Fra); R Sabarros (Fra); P Wesselingh (Eng); J Carriles (Esp); C Mason (Eng)

72 A Oldcorn (Sco); M Mackenzie (Eng); S Luna (Esp); J Sallat (Fra); F Illouz (Fra); S Cipa (Eng); M Bianco (Ita); D Russell (Eng); S Tinning (Den); P Eales (Eng); J Smith (USA);

73 N Job (Eng); G Brand (Eng); D O'Sullivan (Irl); M Cunning (USA);

74 M Mouland (Wal); J Berendt (Arg); M Farry (Fra); L Carbonetti (Arg); G Joyner (Aus); I Woosnam (Wal);

75 G Rusnak (USA); P Walton (Irl); P Jonas (Can); M Davis (Eng); J Rivero (Esp); G Brand Jnr (Sco); A Sherborne (Eng);

76 A Garrido (Esp); G Cali (Ita); A Bossert (Sui); J Bruner (USA);

77 N Ratcliffe (Aus); D Durnian (Eng);

78 M McLean (Eng); G Ryall (Eng); G Banister (Aus);

81 C Williams (RSA);

 ** M James (Eng);