PGA pros on track at Wentworth
21/05/2015
Greig Hutcheon and Niall Kearney kept their hopes of making the cut well and truly alive during the first round of the BMW PGA Championship over Wentworth’s West Course.
The duo, who qualified for the event after finishing in the top 10 at the PGA Play-Offs in December, ended the day level with stars of the game including Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood after carding level-par 72s.
A similar round tomorrow would likely see both men make the cut, from where they could land a potential plum draw to play with one of the biggest names in world golf.
That motivation saw Hutcheon, who made the cut in this event two years ago, get off to a flying start with an early birdie.
Kearney joined him on one-under but from there both men quickly made bogies and then struggled to make further in-roads into the scoring.
A two-putt on the tricky 18th green cost Hutcheon a vital shot that would have moved him level with Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy on one-under.
Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) said: "I missed some chances but made an incredible up and down on the tenth hole. I had to clear a pine tree and a TV tower with a flop shot and it was one of the best up and downs I’ve ever made. That was good.
“Apart from that, I had a ball out of bounds on the 12th. The ball pitched pin high but three paces left of the green and went out of bounds.
“I had a few chances I didn’t take, including one for a birdie on the last. It’s an OK score but in this company it doesn’t cut the mustard."
Matt Cort (Beedles Lake) and Chris Gane (Left Handed Golf @ Silvermere) finished further back with two-over and three-over totals respectively. Nevertheless, both men fancy their chances of being in contention when the cut is made at the close of play in the second round.
Gane said: “There’s a long build up to this event, it seems to have taken a long time to get here since qualifying in December. It’s the biggest cauldron I’ve ever played in and my heart was racing when I got to the first tee.
“It’s a punishing golf course and if you make one error you can end up struggling but I felt I could have come in two or three shots lower, I just need to go out and do that tomorrow.”
Cort said: “I got the putter working which saved my score. I didn’t drive the ball that well. It was a good fighting effort. I bogeyed the 17th which was disappointing – there was a 20 minute wait on the tee, which didn’t help.
“I chipped in on 11, which was nice, and had two good chances for birdies on 12 and 13."
Cort, who was level par after 14 holes but posted bogeys at 15 and 17, added: "May be late in the day I was getting a bit tired mentally. But I scrambled as best as I could. I’ll give it a go tomorrow.”
Among the other PGA Professionals playing in the event are Alex Belt (+5), Richard O’Hanlon (+7), Benn Barham (+7) David Dixon (+6) and Jason Levermore (+6)
Meanwhile Scottish PGA Professional Craig Lee hit a hole-in-one at the second hole, emulating Channels’ Levermore who achieved the feat in 2013.
