CARRIS TROPHY-EARLY STARTERS CASH IN AS WILLS LEADS ON 67
 It
was a case of the early birds catching the worms on the opening
day of the Carris Trophy yesterday at Saunton in Devon with
Adam Wills heading the field with a four-under-par 67.
Wills (picture © Tom Ward) was out first at 7.30am and
his score was never matched. He leads by one from another
Cheshire player, Josh Sims and by two from the rest of the
field.
The early starters enjoyed the best of the conditions, sunshine
and warm temperatures after Monday’s rain, wind and
cold. Although a breeze got up mid morning, conditions were
never tough and at the end of the day ten players were under
par.
Wills, the 17 year old from Tarporley, had five birdies in
his 67 and was happy to have been given an early start. “I
didn’t mind being out first. There was little wind,
the course was in pristine order and conditions were good
for scoring,” he said.
Sims, out in the third match at 7.50am, was equally happy
with his 68 that also contained five birdies. “I started
bogey-bogey so I did well after that,” said the Cheshire
boy captain. “I lost a ball on the second hole which
isn’t the best way to get you round underway but it
worked out well in the end.”
Boy international Tommy Fleetwood, another early starter,
would have joined Wills at the top of the leader board, but
after getting to four under he bogeyed the closing two holes
for a 69.
Another to finish on two under was Gloucestershire’s
Chris Lloyd, who came home in 33. “I played solidly
and putted well,” he said.
The 15 year old had a 10 o’clock start when the breeze
was heading over the north Devon links and did well to find
four birdies. “There were a few tricky holes and some
of the pins were tucked away,” he said. “You couldn’t
take liberties as you had to give some respect to certain
holes.”
Late in the day with the breeze freshening, there were 69s
from Bernardo Frere, the Portuguese under 18 champion, and
from Matt Haines, another England boy cap.
Frere, from Lisbon, had not played in England before and
ran in five birdies. “The wind was different from the
practise days but I holed a lot of putts and I’m happy
with my score,” he admitted.
Haines, 17, from Kent, got to four under par through eight
holes but lost a ball off the ninth tee to run up a double-bogey
six. “I have not been playing well recently so I’m
happy with 69,” he said.
Among those with returned 70 was James Bethwaite, a member
of the Wiltshire under 18 side, who has only been playing
for four years and has a scratch handicap. He signed for two
birdies, one bogey and 15 pars. “It’s a nice start,”
was his understated reaction.
Another 70 came from Sussex-based Darren Renwick, who claimed
four of his five birdies and three bogeys in a back nine of
34. “I didn’t start well but I managed to hole
from 30 feet at the first for par and from around 40 feet
at the second for birdie,” he said. “So I could
have been a few over at the end of the day.”
At the halfway stage in the battle for the Nations Cup, England
II lead on 141 by two from England I with Italy I on 146.
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