The first European Tour event in England of the season saw four home players sharing the lead at the end of the first round of The Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters with Brian Davis, David Howell, David Lynn and Ben Mason the only players to break 70 on a testing day at the Marriott Forest of Arden.
Of the four, Davis, playing his first event in Europe after a successful early season spell in America, made the strongest finish when he chipped in on the last for a hat-trick of birdies to finish his round of three under par 69.
His score was all the more impressive with the fact that he only hit two fairways but somehow managed to pick up four birdies and an eagle three on the 12th.
“It was a real struggle,” said Davis. “I putted really well but just couldn’t hit it, it was awful! But I managed to get my way around. It was just one of those days to hang in there.”
Ryder Cup player Howell, part of the ISM stable which organises and promotes the event, was on course for the outright lead as he stood on the final tee at four under par and the only player without a bogey on his card. But he came up short in the bunker and dropped his only shot of the round to join the leaders on 69, and for the second consecutive year tops the leaderboard after the first day.
“69 is a pretty good score today,” said Howell, who got off to a flying start when he chipped in on the second and holed a long putt from off the green on the fifth to secure his fourth birdie in his first five holes. “I played the tough holes really well, gave myself some birdie chances but let myself down a little on the par fives but not hitting the fairways and laying up all the time. That’s probably why I didn’t kick on.”
Lynn, playing only his sixth event of the year after delaying the start of his campaign until Dubai, got off to a good start with six birdies and three dropped shots.
Mason also made six birdies in his 69, the last coming on the par three 18th , when he hit a four iron to six feet and converted the putt to match the lowest round of his season.
Only 19 players broke par on the first day with a group of eight players bunched only a shot adrift of the leading group. Among them is defending champion Barry Lane, last week’s runner-up in Italy, Richard Finch, and Scott Drummond, the reigning PGA Champion.
Colin Montgomerie, twice a former winner at the Marriott Forest of Arden, looked as if he too would be among the leaders as he stood on the ninth tee, his final hole, at three under par, but ran up a triple bogey seven to finish on level par.
