Nottinghamshire golfing icon tops table at Champions UK plc European Senior Masters
Nottinghamshire's Andrew Marshall is joined by fellow former DP World Tour stars Michael Campbell and Mikael Lundberg at the top of the Champions UK plc European Senior Masters table.
Day 1 of the Legends Tour event saw the trio emerge as table toppers after finishing five under par at the infamous Grand Hyatt La Manga Club Golf & Spa in Murcia.
Discussing the day’s action with Legends Tour reporters, Marshall said: "I’m still on this wave from winning in Italy. I had a nice week off with the boys last week and I’ve just carried on playing really well. I’m hitting fairways and greens and not three-putting, so I’m not dropping anything, and then I picked one up on the last which was great.
“I like playing in the wind, to be honest. I play a softer ball, have a low flight and don’t spin it too much so it probably plays in my hands a little bit. But there’s a lot of good players out there and the greens are good, so looking forward to the weekend."
Campbell assessed his own performance, saying to UK speakers bureau Champions Speakers, the tournament’s headline sponsors: “What made things so simple out there today? A new heart, literally. I had a heart operation two months ago which I had held off for two years. I had Atrial Fibrillation which means my heart was racing out of rhythm.
“So I was tired and couldn’t focus on the golf course for the last two or three years. But today I felt really in the present, very focused and I played great.
“This is life-changing for me, really. I only started playing again a few weeks ago, so it’s been a big turnaround for me and I feel great out there. It’s not 100% yet, I’ve got another three or four months before I’ll be back to full health, but now I’m running at about 75%, which is better than the 20% over the last two or three years so I’m very happy with that and very happy with how I played today.”
Looking ahead to the second day, Marshall will be aiming to maintain on his early-built momentum, while the chasing pack are poised to challenge with the scorecard reading close.
The Champions UK plc European Senior Masters, in association with Equals Money, is part of the crucial season run-in for the Legends Tour calendar at the Grand Hyatt La Manga Club.
Fans of the sport will be able to watch tournament highlights on Sky Sports Golf in the near future.
To find out more information about the competition, visit: https://europeanseniormasters.com/