England’s Greg Owen leads the Vattanac Legends Championship after a superb opening round of 66 in Cambodia. The 2003 British Masters champion is seeking a maiden win on the Legends Tour and started in fine style at Vattanac Golf Resort, in what is the country’s first major international golf tournament.
Three players are one shot back at -5, including Andrew Marshall – who broke his own Legends Tour duck last month at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open – along with Anthony Wall and Maarten Lafeber, who recorded back-to-back eagles in his 67. Craig Farrelly sits at -4 after a round of 68, one clear of a group of 10 players in what is an extremely congested leaderboard.
“I’m delighted with that,” said Owen after taming the 6,892-yard, Sir Nick Faldo-designed East Course just outside Phnom Penh. “It’s probably the best I’ve played in a long, long time. I missed one driver and the rest was just very, very solid.”
Starting at the 10th, Owen made the turn in 33 and added a fourth birdie at the next before a superb eagle at his last hole catapulted him into the lead.
“I’ve been swinging the club really well this year but not getting a lot out of my game, so it’s been a little frustrating in places. I really want to win. I know I can do it, I know I’ve got the game to do it, but there’s plenty of good guys playing out here and it’s not always up to me. So I’ll just keep playing well and see what happens.”
Anthony Wall only joined the Legends Tour in June, just days after turning 50, and has already turned in a number of creditable performances, including T6 on debut in Greece at the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy.
The Englishman made a storming start, with six birdies on the front nine, before a couple of late bogeys checked his progress. Nevertheless, the two-time DP World Tour winner was very happy with his opening day’s work.
“It was a good day,” Wall said after his 67. “I probably didn’t quite know the course well enough so I just had to battle hard as the course is playing quite tough coming home, but I’m very happy with that start.
“These are conditions that we never play. The greens are slower and they’re extremely grainy. So if you’re in the wrong spot, you do well to two-putt sometimes. With the wind as well, which was probably three clubs today, it’s a challenge. These are just things that you don’t experience more than once or twice a year, but that’s what’s great about playing on the DP World Tour and then coming onto the Legends Tour. You’re playing everywhere, so you do experience it all. You’re not just playing one type of golf.”
Maarten Lafeber is another Legends Tour debutante this year, and the Dutchman has enjoyed a very consistent first season with six top-10s already to his name. “I’m very happy with that, some tough holes out there. I started well, driving the green on the par-four 11th, making a birdie. I just made two mistakes – on 12 and 16 where I three-putted – but that was it really.
“Two eagles in a row is pretty rare. On my 9th I hit a great 4-iron from 230 yards to about 10ft and holed the putt. Then next hole a 5-wood into the wind and same result. My caddie gave me a great read it went in again. I don’t think I’ve ever done it before and it really kickstarted the round. I feel I’m playing solid, I’m trying to play smart. I’m very happy with what I’m doing on the golf course, and I am accepting shots don’t come off. So yeah, I feel comfortable.”
Play continues on Saturday at Vattanac – click here for the full leaderboard.
