Record European Seniors Tour money winner Carl Mason is in line for another big pay day after an opening round five under par 67 at the £200,000 PGA Seniors Championship.
Mason, gunning for his fourth title of the year, joined Canadian Bruce Heuchan at the top of the leaderboard at Stoke by Nayland Club with a sparkling back nine which saw him pick up four shots in three holes including an eagle at the 512 yard par five 14.
The Order of Merit leader made an impressive start with three birdies in the opening four holes but lost ground with bogeys at 10 and 11 before an element of good fortune kick-started his move into a share of the lead.
“On 14 I hit my tee shot left in the rough among a lot of mole hills, eventually got out, knocked a wood out of the rough to 10-15 yards off the green then holed the pitch,” said Mason. “It felt like it took us all day to play that hole.
It was weird, we just felt we never got going then once we had, we had all sorts of problems and I don’t know how many times we called the referees for rulings. It just got ridiculous.”
“I’m pleased, I started off playing well but I don’t know if it was me - when the luck is with you the luck is with you,” he added.
Heuchan meanwhile was happy with his form and revelled in the putting surfaces at the Gainsborough Course.
“The greens were fabulous - the best I’ve putted on all year by far, fantastic,” he said.
Lurking a shot further back after four under par 68s were Bob Cameron, Peter Teravainen and Mason’s playing partner Jim Rhodes who sank eight birdies but suffered a double bogey at 11 with bogeys also on holes six and 15.
A group of eight players including Costantino Rocca, Ross Drummond and David J Russell are in a share of sixth place after 69s while a stroke further back is defending champion Sam Torrance. The Scot who moved quickly to two under then lurched to one over through 10 following a run of three bogeys around the turn but displayed his battling qualities with birdies on 14,15 and 17 to score a 70.
“It was a battling round, one I’m happy with and at three back I’m still very much in it,” said Torrance who is chasing a hat-trick of titles.
His playing partner and reigning US Seniors PGA champion Denis Watson is also very much still in contention and hopes there is more to come tomorrow after struggling with his game and jet-lag following a long flight from Los Angeles.
“I played a bit scrappy, didn’t get the right numbers and just one time hit it pin high which makes it tough so considering that I’m quite happy,” said Watson.
“I hit two great shots to ten and made five so it was frustrating for me, I hit a pitch shot fat from 60 yards on 16, didn’t drive the ball as well as I normally do so all in all I’m pretty happy shooting 70 but I feel like I kind of left it out there – no birdies on a par five, that’s not good out here.”
Donald Stirling, the 2007 PGA Senior Club Professional champion, was playing with Torrance and Watson and after being hampered by a sore shoulder in the build up to the championship was satisfied to card a one over par 73 although was left to rue a bogey on the last.
One player savouring the day more than most was PGA professional Murray White, whose working week is mostly confined to running his own nine hole golf facility at Penfold Park in Watford.
The business doesn’t leave much time for playing but his one under par 71 leaves White well placed to make the cut and enjoy an extended break from the day job.
“Apart from the Seniors Open this is the highlight of the year and if I can make the cut I will be delighted,” he said. “Getting through to the weekend was the target before I came here so if I can do that I’ll be more than happy.”
The leading PGA professional in the field wins a place in the Scottish Seniors Open at Dalmahoy later in the month.