uGordon Brand Jnr rekindled memories of his record breaking performance at La Moye Golf Club 24 years ago with a stunning eagle as he opened up a three stroke lead in the Matrix Jersey Classic.
The Scot set a European Tour record of four eagles in a round in the 1986 Jersey Open – subsequently matched by Mikko Ilonen in the 2003 Open de España – when he set the course record of 62 at La Moye Golf Club and he notched another eagle when he holed his 193 yard four iron second shot on the par four fifth hole.
Brand Jnr also carded seven birdies in a stunning nine under par round of 63 – just one stroke more than his long standing course record – to open up a three shot advantage over Kevin Spurgeon at the top of the leaderboard on the Channel Island.
Starting on the tenth tee, the former Ryder Cup player birdied the 11th, 12th and 18th holes in his outward nine before picking up further shots on the second, third, sixth and seventh holes alongside his eagle on the fifth.
“That was one stroke more than in 1986 – I must be getting worse!" he joked. "It was some round though.
“The key today was my putting. I’d been fiddling around with my putter beforehand – I brought three then bought another from the Pro Shop but I ended up sticking with my normal one and putted well in the Pro-Am with it.
“The putter I used last year was out the equation so my mind was made up but it ended up being a good choice. I hit some really nice shots but holed out fantastic today and holed the shot on the fifth.
“I didn’t see it go in as I hit it over a tree but I knew it was on line. I’ve got a bit of history with eagles round here after 1986 with the four eagles in one round. They were threes on all of the par fives though.
“I do like links golf and this course suits me – I like how it is set up – and I managed to control the ball well today. It is tricky out there but it is like any links golf, if you play well it is there for the taking and that’s certainly what I did today.
“I hit the right shots at the right time and putted well. Sometimes I didn’t even need to go to pins as I was that comfortable on the greens, not that I holed any long ones – I just made everything from inside ten feet.”
Brand Jnr’s nine under par 63 equalled the lowest round to par of the season so far set by Bill Longmuir in the Handa Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum last month.
His nearest rival is Englishman Spurgeon, winner of the opening event of the 2010 in Mauritius, who fired four birdies and an eagle of his own on the par five second hole to lie in second place after signing for a flawless 66.
“Apart from my first tee shot I hit every fairway and every green today,” said Spurgeon. “I didn’t make any mistakes. I had a nice rhythm out there and I found it a lot easier coming back from America last week to play this course.
Two former Matrix Jersey Classic champions – Bobby Lincoln and Tony Johnstone - both opened with four under par rounds of 68 for a share of third place with Andrew Oldcorn, who was the last winner of the Jersey Open on The European Tour in 1995, Qualifying School winner John Harrison and Australian Graham Banister.
Oldcorn is playing in only his third European Senior Tour event and finished tied eighth in last week’s US Senior PGA Championship.
