Cort and Austin set the pace in Cornish Festival

20/04/2022

Barry Austin and Matt Cort set the pace on the opening day of the Carlsberg Marston’s Cornish Festival by posting five-under par rounds of 67 to lead the 100-plus field.

Austin, last year’s PGA S West captain who represents Downes Crediton Golf Club, experienced what could be described as a rollercoaster round at Trevose, the stage for the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship in June.

The highlight in a round that began inauspiciously with a bogey at the par four second came with an eagle at the par-five 10^th that followed four birdies on the front nine.

Two more birdies followed on the way home but these only served to erase successive bogeys at 11 and 12.

Cort’s progress at the Point of Polzeath was more measured by contrast. The pro from Beedles Lake, Leicestershire, who was a member of the victorious 2017 PGA Cup team also recorded six birdies.

A quartet of those came on the front nine as he reached the turn in four-under and two more, tempered by a solitary bogey at 14, followed at 15 and 16.

Their advantage over the remainder of the chasing pack is a slender one, however.

Snapping at their heels on four-under is a quintet comprising three former European Tour players, Phillip Archer, David Dixon and Phillip Price, plus Ashley Mansell and Adam Curtis.

Archer, who represents Poulton Park Golf Club, Cheshire, and Bude and North Cornwall Golf Club’s Curtis registered their four-under rounds at Trevose; Clevedon Golf Club’s Mansell, Dixon of Enmore Park, and Price found the Point at Polzeath to their liking.

Indeed, Mansell was fulsome in his praise for the venue. “Hat’s off to the Point at Polzeath golf course today,” he said. “It was in the best condition I’ve ever played it. Well done to Jeremy Davies (the owner) and the team there.”

Meanwhile, St Enodoc Golf Club, the other venue that stages the annual festival, proved more miserly when it came to shooting sub-par scores.

There were just two – from Marlborough Golf Club’s Ben Amor and Calum Callan of Cottesmore Golf Club, who posted rounds of two and one-under respectively.

CLICK HERE for a full list of scores