James Kingston surged into conention at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles after a second round 66 at Constance Lemuria. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JAMES Kingston will go in search of his first Staysure Tour title as he takes a one-stroke lead into Saturday’s final round of the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles.

The South African, who carded a four-under par 66, began the second round five strokes adrift of leader Gary Orr.

But Kingston, who has 11 wins on the Sunshine Tour plus four more on the Asian Tour, recorded four consecutive birdies on his final four holes to take the lead, with Surrey-based Orr dropping down the leaderboard.

The Scotsman, who is attached to Helenburgh GC, on his native Clydeside, carded four bogeys and a double in a 76 – 12 shots worse than the two-time European Tour winner, who lives in Weybridge, took on Thursday.

Kingston has claimed four top five results in 2019, including runner-up finishes at the Senior Open Hauts de France and Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at Kent’s London Club.

He is now in prime position to seal his maiden Staysure Tour title – in the second of three MCB Tour Championships which will bring the curtain down on the 2019 season next week, in Mauritius.

Kingston reached the turn at level-par following a birdie at the sixth and a bogey at the ninth. He remained on that score with four holes to play after he gave up the birdie on the 11th with a bogey on the 12th.

Orr defies injury to lead in Seychelles

The two-time European Tour winner then finished with a flurry of birdies to leap to the summit at Constance Lemuria, which boasts one of the most spectacular back nines in the world of golf.

“Whenever you put yourself in the mix coming into the last round you’ve got to give yourself a decent chance,” said James Kingston. “I’ve played pretty solid all season so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

“I felt like I played really solid golf today. We had a nice three-ball and we finished off in style with André Bossert making eagle and myself and Cesar Monasterio making birdies on 18.

“I was quite pleased to finish by birdieing the last four holes. The back nine, especially the last few holes, if you hit some good shots, it’s actually easier to set yourself up with birdie opportunities.

“Even though the elevation plays a big role, I still think there are more opportunities on the back nine,” added Kingston, whose last win came in 2013 at the Investec Royal Swazi Open.

Hot on Kingston’s heels is Kent’s Peter Wilson. The Princes GC member signed for a three-under par 67, having gone out in four-under to move into contention.

A group of three players, including Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin, Argentina’s Mauricio Molina and Welshman Stephen Dodd make up the top five at the European Tour Destinations venue on two-under – three strokes behind James Kingston.

The final round of the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles will get under way at 8.45am local time with Kingston going for glory at 11.30am local time. The Seychelles are four hours ahead of GMT.

•Click here for live scoring in the final round.

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Scotland’s Surrey-based Staysure Tour pro Gary Orr scorched his way to six-under par in the first round of the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles at Constance Lemuria, despite not having played for several weeks because of back problems. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

GARY Orr recorded a six-under par opening round of 64 to dominate the first day at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles.

The Surrey-based Scotsman stormed to the top of the leaderboard at Constance Lemuria following a bogey-free front nine which saw him pick up six shots.

The Weybridge pro then traded two more birdies with two bogeys on the back nine to lead by four strokes at the European Tour Destinations venue.

Orr, who won back-to-back Staysure Tour events at the Scottish Senior Open and Paris Legends Championship last year, displayed the type of golf that saw him clinch his first titles in 18 years.

He opened his round with five consecutive threes, including birdies at the first, third and fourth holes.

The momentum continued with further gains at the par five fifth before he reached the turn in 28 strokes after picking up shots on the eighth and ninth holes.

“I’m happy with that round,” said Orr, who is attached to his native Helensburgh GC, on Clydside. “I played well, and it puts me in a good position for the next couple of days.

“I wasn’t expecting much going out and I didn’t know what to expect because I haven’t played for a few months. So to start with five threes was a good start.

“It’s that type of course where you need to play well on the front nine as the difficult holes are from 13 to 18.

“They are tricky holes but there are a few tough holes on the front nine as well. If you can get through those difficult ones first, then you can pick up a few birdies on the others.

“The hilly holes, the last six, they are certainly a challenge. A couple of the greens are really difficult, and you need to hit it in the right spots and hope luck is on your side.

“I didn’t drive it that well, which was fortunate because there aren’t many holes where you have to use the driver. I hit my irons really well and putted nicely, which all added up to a good round.

“The view is unbelievable. It’s quite something up on top of the hill and there aren’t many views on a golf course like that anywhere,” added Orr, who echoed the comments of defending champion Roger Champion, after the practice rounds.

As one of the few competitors to play in trousers in the scorching Seychelles heat, the conditions showed no sign of troubling Orr, who was attached to Burhill Golf Club, in Surrey, duirng his 20 years on the European Tour.

And he bounced back from two dropped shots with gains on the par three 15th and 17th.

Having not played for a couple of months due to back pain, Orr was delighted to take the lead at the picturesque Constance Lemuria.

Orr holds a four-shot lead over a group of four players, including Wales’ Stephen Dodd, South Africa’s David Frost, Argentine Rafael Gomez and Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman, who all signed for rounds of 68 to sit on two-under.

The rest of the top 10 is made up of five players on one-under, including Welshman Mark Mouland, who made his 100th start on the Staysure Tour on Thursday.

•The second round of the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles begins at 9am local time on Friday with Gary Orr teeing it up at 11.45am – the Indian Ocean island is four hours ahead of GMT.

For live scoring click here.

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1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie is seeking his second Staysure win of the season at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters at the Forest of Arden. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PAUL Lawrie is targeting a continuation of his recent good form when he tees it up at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club, from October 4-6.

The Scot underwent foot surgery ahead of his rookie Staysure Tour season and after admitting he was not fully fit during the first half of the year, Lawrie has since showcased the kind of form which saw him win eight times on the European Tour, including the 1999 Open Championship.

In addition to top 10 finishes at both the British Par 3 Championship and the Scottish Par 3 Championship, the two-time Ryder Cup player won his maiden over-50s title on home soil at the Scottish Senior Open in August.

He followed it up with a tie for seventh at The Sinclair Invitational and a runner-up spot at last week’s Murhof Legends – Austrian Senior Open.

“I got to my mid-49s and I was struggling with my foot and little bit with my back,” Lawrie said. “I had to get my foot sorted out first and I obviously wasn’t fit for the first six months after turning 50.

“I was playing but I certainly wasn’t 100 per cent fit. It was always going to take a bit of a while to get up to speed but once I did, I’ve been playing some nice golf.

“I was seventh at Hanbury Manor, second last week in Austria, second in the British Par 3 and eighth in the Scottish Par 3, so every week I’ve played, I’ve played some nice stuff and some good golf.”

Lawrie, who turned 50 on New Year’s Day, has settled into life on the Staysure Tour with ease, helped by the friendly faces which he encounters on a weekly basis.

“It’s nice to see some faces I’ve not seen for a long time,” Lawrie added. “Paul Broadhurst, Ian Woosnam, Peter Baker, I’ve not seen these guys – regularly – for 10 or 15 years because other than Peter Baker, they’re a little older than me.

“It’s been nice to see come back and see some of the boys like Ross Drummond and Gary Orr, guys who I’ve not seen for a little while.

“I’m really enjoying it. The quality is very good on the Staysure Tour. Wherever you go nowadays, you’ve got to play well to win.

“The winning score was 19-under last week in Austria – the course offered a lot of chances but you’ve still got to take them. Getting to 19-under after three rounds, that’s pretty impressive. The standard is very good.”

Joining Lawrie in the final European event of the season, which is being hosted by Peter Baker, is last week’s champion José Coceres and the Argentine’s fellow two-time winner David Shacklady.

Order of Merit leader Phillip Price will go in search of his 11th top 10 finish of the season and look to cement his place at the forefront of the race for the John Jacobs Trophy.

And 2018 KitchenAid Senior PGA Champion Paul Broadhurst tees it up outside of the Senior Majors for the first time this year.

Past champions on the Forest of Arden when it hosted the British Masters on the Euorpean Tour include Colin Montgomerie, who is not in the field this week, fellow Staysure Tour members Ian Woosnam, Barry Lane, Darren Clarke and Philip Walton, plus Greg Owen and Thomas Bjorn, the last winner in 2006, emphasising the quality of ball-striking that thrives around the Coventry course.

The action gets under way at 9.30am on Friday, with Lawrie’s round beginning alongside David Gilford at 11am from the 10th tee.

•For live scoring click here.

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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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