Andrew Marshall leads the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship on the midway stage of the Legends Tour’s flagship match, after registering the primary sub-70 spherical of the week at a windswept Trump Worldwide in Aberdeen.
The Englishman sits at two-under after 36 holes, one forward of Spaniard Carlos Balmaseda who eagled his first gap of the day on his approach to a gritty 71. Regardless of the organisers having introduced ahead quite a few tees and slowed the greens to mitigate the sturdy winds, the duo are the one gamers underneath par.
Former champion Peter Baker is third on +1 after a battling 71, alongside Sean Whiffin. Former PGA Tour participant Bo Van Pelt is at +2, together with Maarten Lafeber and PGA Skilled Damian Mooney.
In a single day chief Michael Jonzon was going alongside properly at -3 as he headed for the flip, however a catastrophic 11 on the par-four ninth – with three misplaced balls off the tee – put a critical dent in his problem. Credit score to the Swede, although, as he made it dwelling in level-par from that time onwards to sit down at +4 and tied for tenth, simply six again.
Marshall had no such drama in compiling a shocking spherical of 69 in extraordinarily difficult situations. He opened up with 5 birdies in his first seven holes and was regular thereafter, regardless of dropping a few photographs on the again 9.
“I knew I used to be taking part in properly,” mentioned Marshall. “I received off to an unbelievable begin, and I simply didn’t assume an excessive amount of about it, simply stored hitting the ball and it was getting in. I simply hit much less membership, put it in play, and I may see lots of people tearing their hair out as a result of they’re hitting driver making an attempt to choose up photographs. I simply tried to poke it down the center and settle for that 4 is an efficient rating on any gap.”
After quite a few near-misses, together with three top-fives final season, Marshall is now 36 holes from a maiden Legends Tour title. “I’m at the moment within the lead, which is a bit daunting, however it’s what you dream about isn’t it? If I can play anyplace close to like that and may hold making fours and never three-putt too many occasions, it needs to be very fascinating. Sadly, it’s not a dash to the end tomorrow, so I’m simply going to hit the ball low, hold it out of the wind, hold placing properly, and should you can end underneath par, I believe you win.”
Profitable the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship is one thing that Peter Baker is aware of all about, having memorably claimed a six-shot win in 2023. The previous Ryder Cup participant additionally emphasised the significance of discovering fairways as he carded a formidable 71 to sit down simply three again.
“It’s very satisfying to shoot underneath par in the present day,” mentioned Baker. “I’m driving it fairly straight and hitting some second photographs shut. I had an excellent run in the course of the spherical, plenty of probabilities and made one or two. Par on any gap is an efficient rating so very joyful.
“I bogeyed the eleventh, my second gap of the day, after which on my third I received a little bit of a flyer out of the tough and went over the inexperienced. Hit a good chip to about 15 toes after which holed it. Even so early within the spherical it felt necessary and I hit a variety of good photographs after that.
“I don’t thoughts if the wind blows actually, it’s as much as you to simply hold going, taking part in one shot at a time as it could actually get away from you in a short time round right here. And should you do miss a shot you’re simply making an attempt to restrict the harm. It’s not getting any simpler so it’s nearly having an opportunity come Sunday.”
As the one common Legends Tour occasion with a midway reduce, Friday on the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship is a day of additional rigidity and jeopardy. Host Colin Montgomerie narrowly missed out however his fellow Ryder Cup captains José María Olazábal and Paul McGinley each battled their approach by, as did Main winners Wealthy Beem and Shaun Micheel, together with 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie who sits at +6, tied for twenty second.
With 15 locations within the subject for PGA Professionals who certified by way of the Senior PGA Skilled Championship, this occasion gives an unbelievable alternative for membership Professionals to compete with Main winners and Ryder Cup gamers. Of the 15 who began the week, no fewer than 10 managed to make the reduce, with Eire’s Damian Mooney handily positioned at +2, simply three off the lead.
Play continues on Saturday, with tickets obtainable for each Saturday and Sunday at www.legendstour.com or on the gate.
