Canter two shots ahead after the first round
02/04/2019
Laurie Canter took the lead in the Asbri PGA Cornish Festival with a sparkling round of four-under-par 68 on his first visit to The Point at Polzeath.
The Cumberwell Park player from Bath lost his European Tour card after three years and hopes to return via the Challenge Tour this season.
“I was impressed on my first visit to the Point,” he said. ”The course is in fantastic condition and the greens are great.”
He birdied all four par fives and was particularly pleased with his four on the sixth when he found the green with a driver off the fairway.
“I finished nicely with three birdies on the final three holes,” he said. He has been second twice and third once in previous years. In addition he has also won the team event three times.
This time he leads a new team of Cumberwell Park players - general manager Ali James, his cousin Charlie and the club’s star youngster plus-three handicapper England Boys player James Cooper.
Exeter’s Ryan Pope was an early leader on two-under-par at Trevose and remained in second place all day. Former winner Ryder Cup man Peter Baker (South Staffs) was one under at Trevose while Craig Shave (Cosby) was the only other player to better par with a one-under-par 71 at Trevose.
Defending champion Matt Cort (Beedles Lake) and West Oder of Merit champion Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) were level par at Polzeath.
Despite the higher-than-usual scoring 30 players finished within two shots of par to remain strong contenders over the next two days.
Richard Wallis (Canterbury) was the outright leader over the tough championship St Enodoc links on level par 69.
There were plenty of birdies. In addition to Canter’s seven, Luke Derrick (Henbury) weighed in with six while Adam Curtis (Bude), Ashley Mansell (Clevedon), Dom Knight (Remedy Oak) and former winner Chris Gane (Left handed golf at Silvermere) made five.
Gane would have been challenging strongly but for making seven at the par four 14th during his one over par 70 at St Endoc.
