Hamerton drives home early advantage

Grant Hamerton got off to a flying start with an eagle at the third hole in the Lakes Classic at Windermere.

And he never looked back as he added five birdies, with a couple of bogeys thrown in, on his way to a five-under-par 62 in a 36 hole event reduced to 18 after torrential rain wiped out the first day.

The former European Tour player, professional at Bury club Pike Fold, won by two shots from a group of seven which included Manchester Open champion David Shacklady, from Mossock Hall, and Carden Park's Garry Houston who starts his defence of the De Vere Leeds Cup at Oulton Hall on Wednesday.

A shot back was Houston's Challenge Tour adversary Phil Archer, from Birchwood who was on the same mark as host club pro Simon Edwards.