Five share the lead in PGA East Anglian Open

Five players are locked together with scores of four-under-par 69 as fierce competition gave little room for error in the first round of the PGA East Anglian Open at The Rayleigh Club.

Jason Levermore (above) of Channels, who made the cut in the PGA BMW Championship at Wentworth in May, is one of the pacemakers. He is second in the Order of Merit and well placed to clinch another trip to Turkey in the Titleist PGA play-offs.

Another five are only one shot off the pace, setting up an exciting finale to the East Region Order of Merit season. There are 31 players within three shots of the lead.

Nick Pateman of Pinner Hill, third in the Order of Merit, had a disappointing round of 74 which may have opened the door for fourth-placed Ian Ellis (Costessey Park) to leapfrog into the top three. Ellis had a round of 71.

Mark Hooper of Rayleigh Golf Range cannot be caught at the top of the Order of Merit table, and he sits in a group of 11 players who are two shots off the pace.

Fifth-placed Stuart Brown of Orton Meadows has left himself with a mountain to climb after a round of 76 virtually killed his chances. Sixth-placed Barrie Trainor has returned to Northern Ireland to take a post as head professional at Cairndhu Golf Club.

Those ahead after round one are Mark Davis, the former PGA European Tour star from Thorndon Park, Chris Smith of Fynn Valley, Matt Stables of North Weald and Crue Elliott of Sandy Lodge together with Levermore.