Murray, Hutcheon head Scots'
challenge in Wales

From Paul Symes, Challenge Tour Press Officer
Joint leaders Matthew Cort of England and Sweden’s Björn Pettersson, who picked up two shots in his last three holes, were the only men to break 70 on day one of the SWALEC Wales Challenge.
The testing course at Vale Hotel Golf and Spa Resort in Cardiff, Wales, claimed numerous victims, with only 18 players under par, but Pettersson made a late surge to join Cort at the top of the leaderboard on three under par.
Usually renowned for his big hitting, Pettersson credited his round of 69 to a change of putter. The Swede, who holed a wedge from 60 yards for an eagle 3 on the fourth hole, said: “It was definitely my day on the greens today – I holed quite a few long putts. I started using a broomstick putter about a year ago and went back to it yesterday, and today he was my friend. So I’ll be keeping him in the bag for a while longer now.”
Pettersson is a relative newcomer to the Challenge Tour, but Cort has the experience of a season on The European Tour on which to call. Last season the Englishman competed on the Europro Tour, having lost his European Tour playing privileges, but he has now targeted a return to the elite level after a steady improvement in recent results.
Cort said: “It’s been a seesaw couple of years, and I’ve had to really rebuild my career. It was like going back six or seven years, trying to find somewhere to play every week. But I had to go back in order to move forward. My confidence took a bit of a knock, but hopefully I’m on my way back now.”
The pair are one shot clear of a trio of Englishmen – Marcus Higley, David Horsey and John Mellor – as well as Spain’s Carlos del Moral and Sweden’s Joel Sjoholm.
Mellor’s up and down day included a 7 and an eagle 2, whilE Sjoholm posted five birdies in his round of 70. Higley’s round also featured a 7, but the Englishman rallied with consecutive birdies on his last two holes.
Scotland's challenge was headed by George Murray and Greig Hutcheon on one-under-par 71 to be in joint eighth place, two off the pace.
Aberdeen's Scott Henderson had his best start for a long time - a par-matching 72. He needs to use that as a platform for the money-making performance he so badly needs on the Challenge Tour.
FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 72
69 M Cort (Eng), B Pettersson (Swe).
70 D Horsey (Eng), C Del Moral (Esp), M Higley (Eng), J Mellor (Eng), J Sjoholm (Swe).
71 M Soffietti (Ita), I Van Weerelt (Ned), R Cabrera Bello (Esp), G Murray (Sco), I Garbutt (Eng), S Jeppesen (Swe), M King (Eng), S Robinson (Eng), M McGeady (Ire), G Hutcheon (Sco), M Thorp (Nor).
72 E Johansen (Nor), J Wahlqvist (Swe), A Butterfield (Eng), S Mason (Eng), M Bliss (Can), S Henderson (Sco) ; P Pinto (Arg) ; A Bernadet (Fra).
73 D Park (Wal) ; P Dwyer (Eng) ; A Högberg (Swe) ; A Willey (Eng) ; B Austin (Eng) ; K Baraka (Ger) ; G Clark (Eng) ; M Cryer (Eng) ; D Ulrich (Sui) ; R Coles (Eng).
74 P Evans (Wal) ; R Treis (Ger) ; B Wiesberger (Aut), M Murphy (Irl), D Gaunt (Aus), W Besseling (Ned) ; B Evans (Eng) ; P Price (Wal) ; T Milford (Eng) ; G Maybin (Nir), S Benson (Eng), J Little (Eng), P Relecom (Bel), A Tampion (Aus) ; J Morrison (Eng), J Vickery (Wal) (am).
75 A Gee (Eng) ; R Davies (Wal) ; G Clark (Eng) ; J Haeggman (Swe) ; M Haastrup (Den) ; J Ablett (Eng) ; J Huldahl (Den) ; J Clément (Sui) ; P Kaensche (Nor) ; S Davis (Eng) ; D McGuigan (RSA) ; S Brizzolari (Ita) ; C Moriarty (Irl) ; S Ottosen (Den) ; J Wade (Aus) ;
76 J Hepworth (Eng) ; M Smith (Eng) ; M Tottey (Wal), R Ramsay (Sco) ; F Calmels (Fra) ; M Hoey (Nir) ; N Walker (Eng) ; J Xanthopoulos (Fra) ; J Morgan (Eng), M Loftus (Sco), C Russo (Fra) ; J Garcia (Esp) ; J Quesne (Fra) ; J Axgren (Swe), P Doherty (Sco), G Shaw (Nir) ; P Nilbrink (Nor), E Ramsay (Sco) ; D Marmion (Eng) ; O Farr (Wal) (am).
77 A Hansen (Den) ; M Dieu (Fra) ; J Busby (Eng) ; C Smith (Wal) ; C Gane (Eng) ; D Wardrop (Eng) ; A Constable (Wal) ; J Foret (Fra) ; M Zions (Aus) ; U Weinhandl (Aut) ; M Crespi (Ita) ; J Frazer (am) (Wal), N James (Wal) (am).
78 C Williams (Wal) ; A Mellor (Eng) ; M Tullo (Chi) ; M Hempstock (Eng) ; R McEvoy (Eng) ; G Lockerbie (Eng) ; J Lee (Wal), O David (Fra), L Bond (Wal), A Oldcorn (Sco), P O'Keeffe (Irl) ; R Enoch (Wal) (am).
79 R Thomas (Wal) ; S Dodd (Wal) ; W Schauman (Swe) ; W Bladon (Eng) ; S Garcia-Grout (Esp) ; C Mills (Wal) ; C Cousins (Wal) ; B Lee (Wal) ; B Miarka (Ger) ;
80 S Parry (Eng) ; A James (Wal) ; S Saavedra (Arg) ; E Thomson (Sco) ; A Smith (Wal) ; J Cunliffe (RSA) ; M Griffiths (Wal), M Henderson (Sco).
81 C Reimbold (Ger) ; D Barbetti (Arg) ; L Matthews (Wal) ; E Goya (Arg) ; L Corfield (Eng) ; Z Gould (Wal) (am).
82 M Pilkington (Wal) ; T Remkes (Ned) ; S Lewton (Eng) ; R Brookman (Wal) ; J Kutumane (RSA) ; T Ferreira (RSA).
83 S Browne (Irl), A Williams (Wal) ; K Staunton (Eng) ;
84 E Morton (Eng), S Jamieson (Sco), N Harris (Eng) ; P Streeter (Eng) ; T Dykes (Wal) ;
87 L Dodd (Eng).
91 P Ericsson (Swe).