Seniors Tour: Des Smyth produced a faultless 68 for a share of the first-round lead at the €390,000 Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship in Bahrain, the final event of the European Seniors Tour season.
The Drogheda golfer immediately found his form in the windy conditions at Riffa Golf Club yesterday, opening with a birdie three and picking up another shot at the par-five fifth hole.
He continued his serene progress with a host of comfortable pars, plus birdies at both par fives on the back nine for matching halves of 34, to tie Argentinian Horacio Carbonetti for the lead.
"I tackled the par fives well, but I also played well in between," Smyth said. "I gave myself lots of chances, and if I had made some putts I would have shot a great round, though I am really happy with a 68 because it was a tough day with a lot of wind."
Scotland's Sam Torrance looks odds-on to win the tour's Order of Merit despite making an inauspicious start to his first round. The former Ryder Cup captain struggled and required two late birdies for a three-over-par 75.
England's Carl Mason, the only man who can deny Torrance the number one spot for the year, fared even worse, notching up a quintuple bogey eight at the par three sixth, and finished seven over for his round.
"I just couldn't get my head off the situation I am in with Carl and it looks like he couldn't as well," said Torrance, who is hoping to complete a Scottish clean sweep of the Order of Merit titles.
No nation has ever provided the winners of all three European Tours in the same season, but a Tartan Treble is on the cards after the successes of Scots Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren on the European Tour and Challenge Tour respectively.
Torrance started his round with a bogey five and proceeded to drop shots at the three par threes in the outward half, reaching the turn in 40. A bogey at the 16th took him to five over before he rallied with birdies at the 16th and 18th holes.
"I birdied the 11th to get back to three over and then hit a beautiful drive down the 12th and had 215 yards into the wind and over water. I went for it and of course I put it in the water and made a bogey six," said Torrance.
"I then missed a birdie putt from 10 feet at the 13th and bogeyed the next. It was frustrating. I had just got a reasonable run going and then I did that. But I birdied the 16th and 18th, which helped."
For Mason it is a question of rediscovering his confidence. The Englishman is only 245 behind Torrance on the Order of Merit, but has been beset by problems that include a back injury and the non-arrival in Bahrain of his caddie.
