Maddy motors into Players Club lead - 14/07/2007

Paul Maddy leads the Motocaddy Masters at The Players Club in Bristol by three shots with a six under round of 64 on the opening day.

Maddy (Gog Magog - pictured) followed a solid start with three birdies from the fourth to go out at three under and made sure he had a clear advantage going into the second round with three further birdies at 11, 12 and 17 in his 64.

Jamie Elson (Forum Financial Associates) John Gallagher (Swanston Golf) and Cortland Lowe are three strokes behind Maddy after both carding rounds of 67. Elson bogeyed the opening hole but followed that with four birdies in his next five holes to go out at three under. He extended that to four under with a fifth birdie at the 11th but dropped shots at 13 and 15 dropped him back to two under before a sixth birdie of the day at 16th. Gallagher raced to three under after the first five holes and was four under through 11 before back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15 set him back - but the Scotsman made one of those dropped shots back at the 17th for a 67. Lowe - who missed the cut at the US Open by two strokes - recorded five birdies in his three under opening round, with bogeys at eight and 11 spoiling his day.

Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown GC) started on the back nine and moved to two under at the turn thanks to three birdies from the 14th. Unfortunately for Matthews he picked up bogeys at two and four to move to level par with five holes to play but birdies at the fifth and ninth saw him shoot at two under round of 68. Joining Matthews four shots off the lead is Paul O'Hanlon (Curragh) who picked up two birdies on the back nine to shoot 68.

Matthew Ford (Marriott Tudor Park) will rue his last four holes as he sits five strokes off the lead at one under. Ford began on the back nine and raced to four under where he remained after 14 holes - but he bogeyed six, eight and nine to record a disappointing 69 from his strong position. Ford is joined by Chris Hiscock (Kingsdown GC), Chris Benians, Phil Worthington (Donnington Grove) and Daniel Belch (Golf Analysis Ltd).

The full first round leaderboard is available by clicking the Score Updates link on the homepage.

SURRY 9/4 TO BE TOP EUROPRO PLAYER AT THE OPEN

Order of Merit leader Steve Surry tees off in the last three-ball of The Open Championship at Turnberry on Thursday afternoon, and is the 9/4 favourite to be the top PGA EuroPro Tour player in Scotland with our official bookmakers Sky Bet.

Five EuroPro regulars are taking on the biggest names in golf this coming weekend, with Tom Haylock and Elliot Saltman 3/1, Daniel Gaunt 7/2 and Jeremy Kavanagh 8/1.
[url=www.skybet.com/skybet?action=GoEvClass&id=34&aff=4527&EPT_Website]To bet on this market, click here.[/url]

Date Posted: 14/07/09, 7pm