JEAN-François Remesy carded a bogey-free six-under par first round of 66 to lead the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius by two strokes.

The Frenchman, who won the inaugural the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship at Trevose, in June, put himself in pole position to claim another Staysure Tour title after a blemish-free round.

The two-time French Open winner’s opening round included six birdies, to lead the season-finale at Constance Belle Mare Plage.

Remesy ended last week’s MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles with a round of 66.

And he began the ninth edition of the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius, the last event of the three-event final series MCB Tour Championship, with another 66.

The three-time European Tour winner showed no sign of struggling in the Mauritius heat as he birdied three of his opening six holes.

That included back-to-back gains at the third and fourth. His putter, like the weather, remained hot as he began the back nine with another birdie to move to four-under.

With four holes left to play, he extended his advantage with a gain at the par five 15th before a final birdie of the day at the last to sign for a bogey-free round and take the lead at the European Tour Destinations venue.

“I’m happy to be in Mauritius and happy to play on a golf course that I’ve known for many years,” said Remesy.

“I’ve been playing decent for a couple of weeks and I’ve continued my goal of hitting the fairways and greens, and finally I made a few birdies today which made for a good score.

“I’m playing really well, which is great. I can now focus on the next two days. Hopefully I have a bit more luck on the greens.

“I’ve been changing all my grips on my clubs because it’s hot, trying to find a solution to playing in the heat, and it was good today. Those changes make a big difference to recorded a round of 66, 69 or even a 70.

“We know the par fives are reachable, but they are tricky, really tricky, so you need to hit the fairway.

“You have to hit very good shots around this course. If you are missing shots then you’re going to be in trouble,” added Remesy, who was a regular visitor to the Mauritius Open, before the venue began hosting European Seniors Tour events.

“It’s better to be leading than to be 10 shots behind, so I’ll take that,” said Remesy. I know the story about how to win tournaments but a lot of the guys behind me know that story as well.

“I’m expecting the guys behind to make a charge and it should make for a fun weekend.”

Two strokes behind Remesy is a chasing pack of four players, including Miguel Angel Martin and James Kingston, who are both searching for their maiden Staysure Tour title.

Defending champion Clark Dennis and the 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie. mtached Martin and Kingston’s 68s, to sit on four-under, with South African, Kingston chipping in for eagle at the 18th hole as he looks to secure a first John Jacobs Trophy, having lost the overnight lead last weekend in the Seychelles.

Lawrie still has a chance to land the John Jacobs Trophy and being crowned Staysure Tour No. 1 by winning the Order of Merit with a victory in Mauritius – but if Phillip Price can finish inside the top 10 the Welsh Ryder Cup winner will take the title for the first time.

Price currently lies in 19th place having carded a first round 71 with three birdies and two bogeys.

The second round at Constance Belle Mare Plage gets under way at 8.30am local time with Remesy teeing it up at 11.15am local time. Mauritius is four hours ahead of GMT.

•For second round scores click here.

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Berkshire’s Barry Lane became the first winner of a European Tour event in Madagascar with victory in the Staysure Tour’s MCB Tour Championship, at International Golf Club Du Rova. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

BERKSHIRE’S Barry Lane became the first winner of the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar at International Golf Club Du Rova – his second Staysure Tour victory of the season.

The 1993 Ryder Cup player shot a final two under-par 69 as he came from four shots back at the start of play to clinch his eighth victory on the over 50s circuit.

It was his second title of the year, having won the Senior Italian Open in June.

Overnight leader Clark Dennis could not follow his impressive bogey-free second round of 65, as Lane seized the opportunity to win the first stage of the three-legged final MCB Tour Championship series by one stroke.

The 59-year-old made a steady start to his final round with six successive pars before his first birdie of the day came at the par three seventh.

Lane made the turn at level par after dropping a shot on the ninth, but regained his focus on the back nine as he returned to the clubhouse bogey free to post three-under par for 54 holes.

Dennis, playing in the same group as Lane, had trouble on the home stretch as the American dropped six shots in seven holes, eventually finishing in share of fourth place.

The American was going in search of his sixth Staysure Tour title, and second win of the year after victory in the Winstongolf Senior Open, in Germany, in July.

But five-time European Tour winner Lane picked up shots at the 13th and 15th to move into the lead.

With the clubhouse target having been set at two-under by Spaniard Juan Quiros and Frenchman Jean-François Remesy, Lane knew a par on the final hole would seal a memorable victory on a course which tested the players’ patience to the utmost.

His four meant he became the maiden winner of the first European Tour-sanctioned event in Madagascar, the largest island in the Indian Ocean.

“It feels amazing,” said Barry Lane. “I knew I was one ahead coming down 18 and I still tried to hole the birdie putt, but I knew I could two-putt to win, which is always nice.

“I got off to a slow start, but putted beautifully on the first four holes and then started to play quite nicely.

“But I hung in there. Clark had a nightmare on the 15th and that changed things. This game changes so quickly and that’s the nature of it.

“This week was all about mental ability. Whatever happened you had to accept it and try and do the best you could.

“Mentally, I thought I was amazing this week, because not once in 54 holes did I get annoyed or upset with any shot. I just played and got on with it.

“It’s such a difficult golf course because it’s quite bouncy and if you miss the greens it is so difficult to get up and down.

“During the week I didn’t feel like I was flushing it, but I tried to hit every fairway and every green to give myself a chance.

“It’s great that at 59 years old I am still winning, having won the Senior Italian Open earlier in the year when I was 58.

“I’m very happy to win at 59 and may it continue for another few years,” Lane added.

Quiros and Remesy finished in a share of second place, following their final rounds of 69.

Dennis, meanwhile, carded a round of 75 to join Wales’ Stephen Dodd and Sussex’s first round leader Gary Evans in fourth, two strokes behind Lane.

Home favourite Jean Baptiste Ramarozatovo, who was cheered on by the home crowd, recorded a round of 69 to take a share of seventh.

The three-time winner of the Madagascan Open in the late 1990s finished alongside Argentinian Mauricio Molina, Kent’s Peter Wilson and South African duo James Kingston and Chris Williams on level-par.

Lane now in contention for No. 1

THE 675 Order of Merit points won by Lane leaves the Englishman in with a real chance of claiming the John Jacobs Trophy and being crowned the European Seniors No. 1 for a first time.

With two events to go in the Seychelles and Mauritius, Barry Lane is third on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, with Wales’ Phillip Price, who finished 18th in Madagascar, on 2,377 points, with Lancashire’s David Shacklady in second 2,033.5 points.

This week’s MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles gets under way on Thursday this week, instead of the traditional Friday start.

•For final scores from the MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar click here.

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WINSTONgolf Senior Open winner Clark Dennis after the American fired a superb 63 to come from six shots back to pip Spain’s Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal in Germany.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CLARK Dennis came from six shots behind to win his fifth Staysure Tour title at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open after a stunning nine-under par 63 in the final round.

The American made five consecutive birdies in his last six holes to set the target at 15 under par, and with overnight leader José María Olazábal bogeying the 16th hole and unable to move back to the summit, Dennis became the first American to triumph at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open.

It was the 53-year-old’s lowest round of the week and lowest round of the season at WINSTONgolf in Vorbeck, as he won for the first time since he equalled the Tour’s low 54-hole score to win the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius last December.

“It’s one of the best final rounds of my career,” Dennis said. “I played fantastic today. Most rounds you look back on them and say I could’ve done this or that, but aside from hitting it in the water on the first and making a par there, the round could not have been any better.

“I figured I was playing for second place. I told my wife that I probably needed to birdie the last six holes to have a chance and I almost did it.

“I had a birdie putt on 18 which went close, but those type of runs are never expected, they just happen.”

Dennis began his final round with three birdies in his opening five holes, making the turn at three-under par.

Olazábal, who was hoping to win his first Staysure Tour title, was six shots ahead of him after nine holes, but the following eight holes saw the American reel in the Spaniard before passing him.

A gain on the par three 11th got the ball rolling on the back nine before he made five successive birdies from the 13th hole to wipe out Olazábal’s lead, narrowly missing out on a birdie at the last, but setting the target in the clubhouse at 15 under par.

With Olazábal dropping a shot on the par four 16th and unable to birdie the final two holes, Dennis was crowned the WINSTONgolf Senior Open Champion.

“Olazábal is a gentleman,” Dennis said. “I’ve played with him before and he’s an absolute gentleman. I kind of felt bad, keeping him from winning his first Staysure Tour, title but I had to do what I did.

“Olazábal and Langer are the best of all time. They’re both two-time Masters Champions. They are incredible players.

“To be able to compete against them is great but to beat them is even better because you know you have to play your best golf to beat those guys because they’re fantastic players.”

The Spaniard finished a stroke behind Dennis for his best finish on the Staysure Tour, with James Kingston of South Africa two further shots back in third place after his final round of 66, six under par.

Home favourite Bernhard Langer finished at 11-under, chipping in for birdie on the last, to join England’s Jamie Spence in a share of fourth place.

Dennis and his fellow competitors will now travel to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the final Senior Major Championship of the season, The Senior Open, from July 25-28.

The post Clark Dennis? More like Clark Kent as ‘Superman’s’ 63 overpowers Olazabal appeared first on Golf North.

Texan Clark Dennis shot to the top of the leaderboard in the Swiss Seniors Open at Bad Ragaz. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CLARK Dennis carded three birdies in his final four holes to post a six-under par 64 and race to the top of the Swiss Seniors Open leaderboard at Golf Club Bad Ragaz.

The 2017 John Jacobs Trophy winner started and finished strongly in the Swiss mountains to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend ahead of Mark Mouland and José Coceres after Friday’s first round.

Dennis, a four-time Staysure Tour winner, teed it up in Switzerland with his son Philip on the bag, as he was for his most recent victory on the over-50s circuit, the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius in 2018.

“He’s a tour-winning caddy from Mauritius! He’s my good luck charm,” Dennis said. “Having him and my wife here is great and my other son is coming to Spain next week.

“It’s great to have them here during the summer in Europe. They get to see some great stuff and experience great places. The Staysure Tour has been a blessing for my family.

“I really enjoy playing on this tour, everything is run so well. We play really nice courses like this and it’s pretty relaxed. There are a lot of good guys out here.”

The Texan carded six birdies and a hole-out eagle during his opening round but his leaderboard-topping 64 was tinged with a hint of frustration after missing short putts which would’ve extended his advantage further.

“I missed a couple of short putts but other than that, it was a flawless round,” Dennis said. “I hit it really well and only missed one green.

“If you’re driving the fairway here, you’re going to get a lot of birdie opportunities and fortunately I was able to convert eight times – well, six times, I holed out from the fairway on eight!

“It was nice not to need the putter. I’ve been struggling a little bit with my putter so it was nice to see a few go in today.

“You always think you could have been better, and I do think today could have been better, but I was pleased with how I played,” Dennis added.

Welshman Mouland and Argentina’s Coceres both carded bogey-free, five under par rounds of 65 at Golf Club Bad Ragaz to sit in tied second, while Peter Baker, Peter O’Malley, Phillip Price and Ian Woosnam are a shot further back on four-under.

A group of six players, including Berkshire’s Senior Italian Open winner Barry Lane, share eighth place on three-under with 36 holes left to play in Switzerland.

The second round will begin at 8am local time on Saturday with Dennis teeing off at 11.40am.

The post John Jacobs Trophy winner Dennis hopes to have it in the bag again at Bad Ragaz appeared first on Golf North.

Gary Evans was one of four players to tie the lead after the first round of the Senior Italian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FOUR players edged ahead of the field and will take a share of the lead into the second round of the Senior Italian Open, including one-time Worthing golfer Gary Evans.

Evans joined former England Amateur legend Gary Wolstenholme and, Scotland’s Surrey-based Gary Orr plus Austrian Markus Brier on four-under par.

The quartet all shot 68 on a difficult Villaverde Resort course, which enjoyed a day off from rains that have been hitting the north-east region of Italy for nearly six weeks.

With greens that were more receptive to approach shots, but fairways which eliminate distance off of the tee, the four leaders were divided on whether or not the course was playing easier or harder as a result.

“I think it made it harder,” said Wolstenholme, a two-time British Amateur Champion. “There’s quite a few holes uphill, decent par fours that are pretty strong, and you had to hit two good shots to find the green.

“Then once you found the green, you had to be in the right area to give yourself a decent chance.

“Putting was quite tough as well because there is a bit of grain and that grain can play on your mind, so you’ve got to be very positive with your putting, which is not always easy to do.

“But at the end of the day, you get the chance to shoot four under on a golf course as difficult as this, I’m very pleased.”

Evans, who was attached to Mill Ride in Berkshire for many of his 14 years on the European Tour, was also quick to identify another layer of difficulty when the course conditions become this wet.

“I had one in the rough on the tenth where I had a little bit of a jumpy lie and I hit just a smooth nine-iron, and I was lucky it came out perfectly,” said Evans, who made his Seniors debut in the Jordan Mixed Open.

“With the rough being this damp, sometimes it can come out a little heavy, but on that occasion it came out well.

“I’m pleased with my round in these conditions although I probably let a few get away from me on my inward nine.”

Taking a different view, were the other two co-leaders, Brier and Orr.

“As it’s my first time around here, I don’t know how it plays when it’s a bit firmer,“ said Brier.

“But length is not my issue, so I would say it’s probably a bit easier because you can shoot at the pins and it’s not going to roll away or anything.”

Orr, who was attached to Burhill in Surrey, for many years, now represnts Helensburgh GC, from where he hails.

“Although it’s playing a bit longer,” said Orr, “it probably is playing a bit easier because the ball stops when it hits the green. Plus the greens are good – they’ve held up really well despite all the rain.”

Sitting one stroke back of the leading quartet is Berkshire’s Barry Lane, who only dropped a single shot in his opening-round, which also featured an eagle and a chip-in birdie.

Clark Dennis, the winner of the last two editions of the Senior Italian Open, battled hard in his opening round to card a one-under par 71, and place himself firmly in the mix, finishing day one in a share of 11^th place.

Should the American go on to win the Senior Italian open for a third time, he would become the first player to win three-successive editions of a Staysure Tour tournament since Colin Montgomerie won the Travis Perkins Masters in 2013, 2014 and 2015 at Woburn GC.

•For live scoring in the Senior Italian Open click here.

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