Essex men back in the old routine at St Mellion

Defending champions Jason Levermore and Andrew Pestell served notice of their determination to retain their title during the first round of the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship at St Mellion.

And should they do so, the pair from Essex will set another tournament record.

Victory at Forest Pines last year ensured the duo became the first to win the championship for a second time.

Now they are on track to claim victory for an unprecedented third time after negotiating the Jack Nicklaus-designed course on the cusp of Cornwall’s border in eight-under-par.

Their round of 64 gave them a lead of two strokes over a field comprising 60 teams in pursuit of the £5,500 winner’s cheque.

However, a two-stroke lead is anything but substantial in this format of the game, especially with two rounds to go and a posse of pairs primed to exploit any slip-ups.

No fewer than five share second place while local pair Ross Whitelock, playing his home course, and partner Paul Hendrikesen, from Dinnaton across the Tamar in Devon, are handily placed on five-under.

They lie tied seventh with Cornish pair Richard O’Hanlon (St Kew) and Richard Sadler (Killow) who, having eagled the par four third undid their good work with a bogey at the par-five seventh.   

But given the evidence of their first round display and ‘previous’ in this competition, Levermore and Pestell, PGA Professionals at Channels and Chelmsford Golf Clubs respectively, will take some catching.

Playing the back nine first, the pair got away to a high-octane start by posting six birdies before following up with two more on the way home.

However, that opening birdie blitz was clearly at odds with the misgivings the pair harboured during their practice round.

Pestell explained: “When we played the course yesterday we thought ‘this is a bit tight, it’s a bit different to Forest Pines’. But once you get over the initial shock factor, you just get on with it.

‘It’s a lovely golf course and it is tight – there’s no room to bail out and you’ve got to play seriously well. That’s why it’s great having a partner like Jason who doesn’t hit that many bad golf shots. He’s always there or thereabouts.”

Levermore, who finished second in the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship earlier this month and played in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May has been in good form all season.

Pestell added: “He’s been flying this year, he’s playing well. This is the sixth year we’ve played together and our games suit each other.”