Monasterio hits historic 61 to lead Senior Open

CESAR Monasterio equalled the lowest round in European Senior Tour history as a spellbinding 11 under par 61 handed the Argentinian the first round lead at the SSE Scottish Senior Open.

Playing in his first season in the Senior ranks having turned 50 last November, Monasterio fired an unblemished nine birdies and an eagle at a benign Fairmont St Andrews to finish three clear of Japan’s Katsuyoshi Tomori, who also excelled with an eight under par 64 yesterday.

On a day of low winds and even lower scoring on the east coast of Scotland, where 40 of the 72 man field broke par, San Miguel de Tucuman native Monasterio put the Torrance Course to the sword and with it equalled the exploits of Scotland’s Andrew Oldcorn, who also shot an 11 under par 61 during the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany last year.

Having birdied the short third hole, big-hitting Monasterio drove the par four fifth green and sank the remaining 50-foot putt for a stunning eagle and a red-hot start.

Two further gains followed at the sixth and eighth holes as Monasterio reached the turn in just 30 blows, before a run of four straight birdies from the tenth hole meant, at one stage, a 59 was a genuine possibility.

Pars at the 14th and 15th tempered that bid before he found an eighth birdie of the day at the 16th and, despite missing a short putt for a ninth at the following hole, Monasterio finished in style with a birdie at the long closing hole for superb 61 and a place in the history books.

“I am enjoying the Senior Tour, especially today with no wind,” said Monasterio, who won his only European Tour title at the 2006 St Omer Open. “I didn’t drive very well today but my second shots, my irons, and my putting were very good. I had 27 putts.”

The Argentinian becomes the sixth player to shoot 61 in Senior Tour history, joining Oldcorn, plus Angel Fernandez, Carl Mason and Juan Quiros, who all finished nine under the card on the par 70 Bad Ragaz course in Switzerland, and Bob Cameron, who was eight under at the 2004 Sanremo Masters.

Tomori was also bogey-free on Thursday and 64 was his lowest round to par in 65 appearances on the Senior Tour.

England’s George Ryall finished the day alone in third place – four shots off the lead – after an opening 65, one shot clear of a trio on six under par.

Ian Woosnam started solidly with a four under par 68, a score matched by 2013 Rookie of the Year Steen Tinning, one shot better than England’s Barry Lane, who is looking to make it a hattrick of Scottish Senior Open titles this week in St Andrews.

Leading the home challenge were Gordon Brand Jnr and Ross Drummond, who both shot three under par rounds of 69..