Wallis overturns Wentworth woe
31/05/2013
Richard Wallis leads the Kerry London Championship by one stroke after the opening day of the third event of the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour season at Burhill Golf Club in Surrey.
Walmer & Kingsdown pro Wallis, two-time winner of the PGA Play-Offs, carded a on six-under-par. Jack Colegate is one stroke behind with Ireland’s Richard Weldon (Killen Castle) tied third with Nick McCarthy (Moortown Golf Club) on four-under.
Will Roebuck is a further shot off the lead in fifth and 10 players are tied sixth on two under par after the first round.
The top five all started their rounds on the 10th tee of Burhill’s New Course. Wallis made his first of seven birdies on the par-five 11th, before taking just two shots on the 12th, a par three. A third birdie was made on the 15th before par breakers at the first, third and sixth on what was his back nine.
A bogey four on the eighth would have stolen Wallis’ place as outright leader had he not responded with a birdie on the ninth.
Colegate (Rochester and Cobham Park) signed for an unblemished 67 after his opening round at the Kerry London Classic, with birdies at 11, 16, two, five and six sealing his slot just behind leader Wallis.
Weldon made five birdies on his opening round, but a bogey on the seventh forced him to sign for a 68. McCarthy also shot five birdies and a bogey, dropping a shot on the par-four 17th on his way to a four-under first round.
Following the conclusion of the Kerry London Championship the top five players on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit will be invited to play in the Challenge Tour’s Scottish Hydro Challenge, along with the top five placed Scottish nationals on the Order of Merit (provided that they are ranked in the top 100). This ensures the winner of the Kerry London Championship an invite to the Challenge Tour event in Scotland.
The top 50 players and ties will make the cut for tomorrow’s final round.
