Price is right on course

Ryder Cup player Phillip Price left nothing to chance before he teed up for the first time in the Cornish Festival. He had never played any of the three links venues so spent Monday getting acclimatised by playing at Trevose.

It proved to be time well spent for he returned the next day to shoot six-under-par 65 with seven birdies. His only dropped shot came at the par-three third as he took a three-shot first round lead in the £18,000 54-hole event in brilliant sunshine.

“Playing yesterday in the same wind helped a lot and gave myself a good chance,” he said. “It’s a pity I couldn’t play St Enodoc and Newquay in advance as well as playing in the festival is new to me.

“The course played a little tough in sections, but I tackled it pretty well and it was a tidy round. I managed to hole a couple of 15-footers.”

But amateur playing partner Chris Dinsdale, the Gwent county regular, gave a more accurate assessment. He said: “His putting was brilliant – he holed everything.”

Price plans to feature in selected PGA in England and Wales (South West) events this summer as he flits between the Challenge and European Tours.

Despite finishing four clear of Joe Ferguson (Celtic Manor), his closest pursuer at Trevose, he will not find it easy to sustain his lead in Cornwall as a number of challengers produced quality first-day rounds.

One of the best came from Dudsbury’s Mark Wiggett whose round of three-under-par 66 at St Enodoc, rated the toughest of the trio, was fashioned in a three-birdie front nine. He added two more at the 14^th and 16^th before dropping his second shot at the tricky par three 17^th.

James Wilson (Ferndown), another Dorset man, followed suit with one of his career-best returns also carding five birdies and two bogeys. Former winner Peter Baker (South Staffs) kept in touch with an impressive two-under 67 at St Enodoc.

Richard O’Hanlon (St Kew) was the early leader at Newquay, going out in three-under 31 and returning in par for 66. This proved to be a popular score matched by Stuart Little (Minchinhampton), Laurie Canter (Saltford), Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre), Shaun Ball (South Staffs) and Paul Broadhurst (Northants County).

Former PGA champion Scott Drummond shot 69 on his PGA (South West) debut at Newquay.