RICE AND FORGAN FIVE UNDER AT BURHILL

Duo shoot 67 in first round of Kerry London Championship

Tim Rice and Sam Forgan shot opening-round 67s on Thursday to lead the field on five under par in the Kerry London Championship at Burhill Golf Club.

The duo lead the five golfers on four under by one stroke in the fourth HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour event of the season.

Irishman Rice (Limerick Golf Club) was the first of the leaders to sign for his score. Having started on the tenth tee he made birdies at 13 and 14, with three more par breakers coming in to complete an unblemished card five shots below par.

Forgan (Stowmarket Golf Club) also started at the tenth but made bogey five. However, he was one under the card after making eagle three on the 11^th and added birdies at 13, 18, five and nine to join Rice at the top of the leaderboard.

Jack Senior, who won the Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters at Montrose after coming second in the opening event of the season at The Belfy, is one of five players four under par, just one behind the leading pair.

The Heysham golfer is joined by Sam Robertshawe (Army Golf Club), Graeme Clark (Doncaster Golf Club), Stephen Grant (The Heritage) and Billy Fowles (Wentworth), who won on the EuroPro at Burhill two years ago.

QPR midfielder Gary O’Neil has put himself in contention to make the 36-hole cut, which is taken to the top 50 and ties. He is level par and tied 38^th after the first round of the Kerry London Championship.

Following the conclusion of the tournament, which has a £10,000 first prize, May 31^st, the top five players on the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit will be eligible for entry into the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley (June 26-29). The top five Scottish nationals, provided they fall within the top 100 on the Order of Merit, will also be eligible for starts.

Spectator entry at Burhill is free throughout the tournament, which will be filmed for a two-hour highlights package to be broadcast on Sky Sports HD at 8pm on June 10, with repeats the following day.