Sam Torrance was in buoyant mood after a four under par 68 earned him a share of the first round lead with Guillermo Encina at the Sharp Italian Seniors Open, but it was the Scotsman’s playing partner Tony Johnstone who had more reasons to be happy following an opening round 71.
For Zimbabwe-born Johnstone it was his first round of competitive golf after a remarkable recovery from multiple sclerosis. The 1992 PGA Championship winner and Sky TV analyst thought he would never play golf again when the illness was diagnosed two years ago.
But he has defied all the odds to be on the beautiful Venetian island of Lido this week for his European Seniors Tour debut over a real shot-maker’s course at Circolo Golf Venezia, where a birdie three at the last ensured Johnstone opened his account in red figures.
“I was seriously twitchy at the start. I was a cross between expectant, excited and nervous,” admitted Johnstone after signing for a card that contained four birdies and three bogeys.
“I haven’t pencilled a scorecard for so long and I have been thinking about my first Seniors Tour event for two years. The first six holes I looked like the mad axeman as I was swinging so fast and my timing was so far out. Eventually things settled and to shoot one under par in my first round was fantastic.
"The guys have been telling me how much fun you have on the Seniors Tour and I had some laughs being out with Sam and Terry Gale. It was just brilliant to be back.”
Torrance, meanwhile, was impressively consistent and a run of four birdies in five holes after the turn took him to four under and a share of the lead with Encina, the smooth-swinging Chilean, who was delighted to finish with four birdies in his last six holes.
A shot further back are Ireland’s Eamonn Darcy, Delroy Cambridge of Jamaica and Englishman Bob Larratt, who won his card at last year’s Qualifying School.
“I played lovely all day,” was how Torrance assessed his day’s work. “The last three holes I had wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge from the middle of each fairway and I just couldn’t get another birdie out of it. I am happy, though, as it’s a good start.
“This is a fantastic golf course – it’s not long but it’s tight and tough. There is not a moment’s respite from the first tee to the last green.”
The layout, lined with huge ancient trees and dotted with water, demands a range of different shots and another player comfortable with the challenges it poses is Darcy.
The former Ryder Cup player, beaten in a play-off at this event last year, carded a three under par 69 to finish one behind.
“I am very pleased because I had a long winter where I played no golf,” admitted the Irishman. “I have been out of action and I felt that in the few rounds that I have played recently I have had no rhythm whatsoever. Yesterday I played in the Pro-Am and there was no rhythm again, so I just thought I’d go out there and relax and see what happens.
“Last October was the last tournament I played in and since then I have probably played only ten rounds. Today I played quite solid so I am very pleased.”
By contrast, Larratt worked tirelessly over the winter with friend Tim Rouse, teaching professional at Northants County GC, in an attempt to make the most of the opportunities his conditional card will provide.
His efforts paid dividends with a three under par 69 that contained birdies at the sixth, tenth, 12th and 15th holes. His only errors of the day came at the par four fourth when he failed to get up and down following an over-clubbed approach. “They were the only two bad putts I hit,” opined Larratt.
The attempt to produce the first Italian winner of this tournament is being led by Pietro Molteni on two under. Also on that mark are Gordon J Brand and Martin Poxon, the leading Englishmen, and Bobby Lincoln of South Africa.
The group on one under comprises Johnstone, Jerry Bruner of America, Scotland’s John Chillas, Kevin Spurgeon of England and Argentine Adan Sowa.
Defending champion Gery Watine of France started with a level par 72.
