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 technique to a gritty 71. Regardless of the organisers having introduced ahead plenty of 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 9th – with three misplaced balls off the tee – put a severe dent in his problem. Credit score to the Swede, although, as he made it house in level-par from that time onwards to sit down at +4 and tied for 10th, simply six again.
Marshall had no such drama in compiling a shocking spherical of 69 in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. 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 enjoying nicely,” mentioned Marshall. “I obtained off to an unbelievable begin, and I simply didn’t suppose an excessive amount of about it, simply stored hitting the ball and it was moving into. I simply hit much less membership, put it in play, and I might 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 effective 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 present within the lead, which is a bit daunting, nevertheless it’s what you dream about isn’t it? If I can play wherever close to like that and might hold making fours and never three-putt too many occasions, it ought 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 nicely, and in case you can end underneath par, I feel 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, a lot of probabilities and made one or two. Par on any gap is an effective rating so very completely satisfied.
“I bogeyed the 11th, my second gap of the day, after which on my third I obtained a little bit of a flyer out of the tough and went over the inexperienced. Hit a good chip to about 15 ft after which holed it. Even so early within the spherical it felt necessary and I hit a whole lot of good photographs after that.
“I don’t thoughts if the wind blows actually, it’s as much as you to simply hold going, enjoying one shot at a time as it might get away from you in a short time round right here. And in case you do miss a shot you’re simply making an attempt to restrict the injury. 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 stress and jeopardy. Host Colin Montgomerie narrowly missed out however his fellow Ryder Cup captains José María Olazábal and Paul McGinley each battled their manner by, as did Main winners Wealthy Beem and Shaun Micheel, together with 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie who sits at +6, tied for 22nd.
With 15 locations within the subject for PGA Professionals who certified by way of the Senior PGA Skilled Championship, this occasion offers 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 out there for each Saturday and Sunday at www.legendstour.com or on the gate.
