Peter Lawrie, making his first competitive start on the Legends Tour in a year, shot an opening two-under-par round of 70 to end the day just inside the top 10 at the Staysure Marbella Legends at Aloha Golf Club.
The Dubliner was one of the later starters in round one and made six birdies in total, the fifth of these taking him to four-under through 11 before an untimely double on the 12th having got to within touching distance of the tournament leaders.
It’s still an impressive opening, however, and Lawrie goes into round two in a share of ninth but Cameron Clark, who earned his Legends Tour playing rights at Q-School in January, struggled in his first outing as a full member, making just a solitary birdie in a three-over-par opening round that leaves him tied for 51st.
Home favourite Miguel Ángel Jiménez and fellow Ryder Cup star Joakim Haeggman share the lead after both carded impressive opening rounds of 66.
The leading pair sit two shots clear of a high-class chasing group that includes former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn, three-time DP World Tour winner Johan Edfors and another former Ryder Cup player, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher, who all sit at –4.
Another Swede, Mikael Lundberg, is a shot further back, alongside two players making their debuts on the Staysure Legends Tour – former Ryder Cup player, Soren Hansen, and Qualifying School graduate, Anthony Grenier.
Spaniard Jiménez, who lives just 30 minutes from the stunning Marbella venue, produced a bogey-free opening round to delight the home crowds. The highlight was undoubtedly a 225-yard approach to the par-five 5th that settled just a few feet from the hole to secure an eagle three. Back-to-back birdies followed as the Mechanic dismantled the Aloha layout he knows so well.
“The golf course needs you to be very precise from the tee,” said Jiménez. “If you miss the fairway, you’re always in trouble. It’s not very long, but you need to be in the right place to attack the flags. Today I hit the ball very solid.”
For Jiménez – a man with 21 DP World Tour wins and almost the same number in the senior ranks to his name, the week carries added motivation after he finished just outside the top positions at Aloha last year.
“I played well here last year and would love to win. We are all here to enjoy ourselves and to entertain the fans at one of the finest courses and clubs in Europe,” he added.
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