Italy’s Giuseppe Cali and Ross Drummond of Scotland each carded a one under par 71 at Slaley Hall to grab a share of the first round lead after a tough opening day in the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship.
The duo both battled the Hunting Course which was playing its full 7081 yards due to the pre-tournament rain, to record the only under par scores from the 120 strong field.
Ironically, neither of the pacesetters looked like leader material after a tough opening nine holes where they both reached the turn in figures of two over par 38. But both men turned their cards around turning for home.
First in the clubhouse was Cali who produced an excellent run of four birdies in six holes from the tenth. The Italian dropped a shot at the 16th, but two par figures to finish saw the 55 year old from San Carlo more than content with his opening effort.
“The course was playing very long because of all the rain so it was a bit of a grind at times but I am more than happy with one under par to start,” he said. “Several tees have been moved up so it’s shortened it a bit for us and it’s definitely playable. The greens are very nice and if you’re stroking your putts nicely you can make some birdies.”
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