SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Paul Waring tied the course record by shooting 9-under 63 to take a two-stroke lead in the first round of the Cazoo Classic on the European tour on Thursday.
The 37-year-old Englishman holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle at the par-5 17th and then birdied the last at Hillside in Southport, northern England, to shoot his best round of a year that has seen him miss the cut in five of 11 events on tour.
Waring is attached to Bromborough Golf Club just 30 miles (48 kilometers) away.
“I started nicely, controlled my ball pretty well all day," Waring said. “It’s funny, I’d felt like I’ve been playing nicely over the last few weeks and months, just not having any results. So to actually put it all together for a round of golf, I’m absolutely made up.”
Garrick Porteous, another Englishman, shot 65 to be alone in second place and there was a four-way tie for third between France's Julien Guerrier, Scotland’s Grant Forrest, Sweden's Jens Dantorp and England's Richard Mansell.
Mansell dropped into that group by bogeying the last.
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