It was a low-scoring opening day on the Legends Course at Constance Belle Mare Plage as 19 players broke 70, with Owen and Hutcheon on top of the pile as they both shot impressive rounds of 65.
Owen was the first man into the clubhouse, with eight birdies and a single dropped shot. The DP World Tour winner picked up shots on four of the last five holes to come home in 31 as he searches for a maiden Legends Tour title at the final event of the 2024 season.
The Englishman has best finishes this season of tied-3rd at the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy and OFX Irish Legends, and solo 3rd in the most recent event at the WCM Mexico Senior Open. It’s the continuation of a good run of form that’s seen him finish T8-T11-7-3 in his last four starts.
“It was a bit scrappy on the front nine, but I found my swing,” said the former PGA Tour player. “I’ve been playing well and swinging it well, so a couple of shots gave me a bit more confidence to finish the round.”
His impressive recent form is the result of some hard work on his technique: “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how I should be swinging and how I want to swing. I kind of understood what I wanted to do, but couldn’t get the feeling. And then the feeling started in Italy and I was 7th, and then a 3rd in Mexico. It just feels good. I’m excited.
“It’s a tricky course. It’s not very long, but with the angles they send you off the tee, it’s hard to be comfortable with the wind. Most holes have a crosswind, so it’s keeping it in play. The greens are pretty receptive, so you can be throwing them at the flags. I made some nice putts and kept my round going.”
Hutcheon made his breakthrough this year with victory at the Legends Open de France in early September, and he sits 8th on the MCB Road to Mauritius coming into the final week of the season.
He was hot out the blocks with birdies at the 1st, 2nd and 4th. His only blemish came at the 9th, but he regained his momentum quickly with red numbers at 10 and 12 and a brilliant eagle at the 13th. He birdied the par-5 18thto get alongside Owen at the summit.
“It was a nice day,” said the Scotsman. “It went to plan. I kept the ball in the right positions and rolled a few putts in, which obviously makes all the difference. The wind is tricky, so you’ve got to watch it. And there are a couple of holes where you’ve got crosswinds and tight trees, so you have to start shaping your ball according to the conditions. So if you don’t have the ability to move the ball both ways, it’s a bit of a struggle.”
South Africa’s Keith Horne is alone in 3rd after signing for a 66. The Zambia Golf Legends Championship winner went bogey-free with three birdies on each side of the course. There’s a four-way tie for 4th on -5, including Ryder Cup legend and eight-time DP World Tour number one Colin Montgomerie, two other first-time winners this year in Robert Coles and Van Phillips, and Scotland’s Gary Orr.
Scott Hend is number two on the MCB Road to Mauritius and he knows he must win and hope that number one Adilson da Silva finishes outside the top 7 to overtake the Brazilian and claim the Order of Merit crown. He’s made a good start with a 68 positioning him alongside Jeev Milkha Singh, Stephen Dodd and Carl Suneson in tied-8th – just three shots off the lead.
Da Silva is tied-20th on -2 – as is Peter Baker. The defending champion this week and reigning MCB Road to Mauritius number one is the only other player who could surpass the Brazilian, but he needs to win and for Da Silva to finish 36th or worse.
Visit www.legendstour.com to see the full leaderboard and second round tee times, and to find out more about the MCB Tour Championship Mauritius at Constance Belle Mare Plage.
