The big names at the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters clogged the top of the leaderboard at the midway point of the first round as Barry Lane, Carl Mason, Sam Torrance, Boonchu Ruangkit and Ian Woosnam were all sitting pretty as joint leaders on three under par.
Lane, straight from his victory at the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open two weeks ago, continued in his fine vein of form as he shot birdies at the first, fourth and eighth holes at Woburn Golf Club.
Woosnam, meanwhile, was three under through six holes after a flying start which saw him pick up back to back birdies on the opening two holes before adding another at the fifth hole.
Torrance didn’t have quite as a good a start as he bogeyed the second hole but had a magnificent comeback at the turn as he went birdie-birdie-eagle on the ninth, 10th and 11th holes to join his fellow former Ryder Cup Captain at the top.
Carl Mason, who suffered disappointment here last year when he relinquished a three shot lead on the back nine of the final round, has put himself right in the frame for a third Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters.
The Englishman was three under through five holes after birdies at the first, second and fifth holes.
Ruangkit, who the previous night accepted three awards at the Senior Tour’s annual awards in recognition of his amazing 2010 season, was also in good shape after birdies on the first, third and seventh holes moved him to the top on three under through seven.
Defending champion Des Smyth was two shots back on one under through seven holes, having birdied the third and fifth to move to two under before he dropped a shot at the par four seventh.
