The Qualifying School graduate has continued his impressive rookie campaign on the Legends Tour with his best round of the season to hold a one-stroke advantage after 18 holes on La Manga’s par-73 South Course.
Griffiths started on the 10th, with an eagle at the 13th and birdies at the 12th, 15th and 18th holes seeing him to the turn in 31 shots. He blitzed four birdies in a row from the 4th and parred his final couple of holes to shoot bogey-free -9. All the players knew the five par-5s would be key this week, and he played them in -5 with an eagle and three birdies.
The Englishman battled injury earlier in the year after finishing tied-2nd at Q School in January, but he’s posted some impressive results in recent weeks as he’s been able to start playing pain-free and his confidence has grown. Five top-8s in his last six starts has taken him to 22nd on the MCB Road to Mauritius, and he posted his best finish of the season last time out with a tied-3rd at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open.
“I’m very pleased,” said the leader. “Whenever you shoot nine under, you’re always going to be happy, and today was no exception. I played lovely. I holed a few putts that I didn’t think I was going to hole and missed a few I probably thought I was going to hole, but overall, I’m thrilled.
“I’ve been playing nicely lately. Normally I keep the ball in play well, so I’m normally in most holes and, you know, if I can keep that going through a week then I normally play alright.”
It’s a fantastic start, but Griffiths knows he needs to keep playing aggressively if he’s going to pick up a maiden Legends Tour victory this week in Spain: “If there’s no wind around here, you really have to shoot low numbers. You have to take advantage of the par-5s, you have to attack the golf course. So you’ve got to keep your foot to the floor and keep going forward.”
Simon Khan and Phillip Price are tied-2nd on -8. The former BMW PGA Championship winner had an incredible run of eight birdies in 10 holes from the 8th, but he did drop a shot on the par-5 18th. Former Ryder Cup player Price went bogey-free with a birdie-eagle finish on the 8th and 9th, having started on 10.
The big-hitting Emanuele Canonica birdied all of the par-5s and signed for a round of 66 to lie in 4th place. There’s a five-way tie for 5th on -6, including this year’s Staysure PGA Seniors Championship winner Rob Coles, Zambia Golf Legends Championship victor Keith Horne, Swiss Seniors Open winner Jarmo Sandelin and English duo Gary Evans and Philip Golding. James Kingston, Jose Coceres and David Shacklady are four shots off the early pace in tied-10th.
Tournament host Peter Baker is tied-24th after a 71 that included four birdies and two bogeys, with defending champion Patrik Sjöland a shot worse off in tied-34th.
Adilson da Silva, the MCB Road to Mauritius number one, picked up three birdies in his last four holes to match reigning Order of Merit number one, Baker, with a 71.
Visit www.legendstour.com to see the full leaderboard and second round tee times, and to find out more about the Farmfoods European Senior Masters hosted by Peter Baker at La Manga Club, Murcia, Spain.
