Golf in brief: Peter Smith seals first seniors' success

PGA SENIORS: Deeside's Peter Smith claimed a debut victory in the Senior PGA Professionals' Championship at Northants County last night.

The 51-year-old closed with a four-over 74 for 211 and finished four shots clear of English duo, Robin Mann and Richard Green, and fellow Scot Iain Parker.

Aberdonian Smith picked up the first prize of 4,750 as well as an invitation to the European Senior Tour's Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews in August.

Smith had been leading by five shots heading into the closing round but four bogeys on his opening seven holes gave the chasing pack hope. The former Northern Open champion steadied the ship and reeled off 11 straight pars in the testing conditions to ease over the finishing line.

St Andrews stalwart Jim Farmer closed with a 74 to tie for 13th on 220.

Course-record 64 earns Nocera lead

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR: Former Ladies' Scottish Open winner Gwladys Nocera shot a course-record eight-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open.

The 35-year-old Frenchwoman had six birdies and an eagle on the CampoReal Resort and Spa course north of Lisbon, where she is targeting her 11th Ladies European Tour title.

South Africans Ashleigh Simon and Stacy Lee Bregman are in joint-second with Australian Sarah Kemp, who opened with a 66 in the scorching sunshine.

Kylie Walker is leading Scot on 71, closely followed by Krystle Caithness and Carly Booth on 72. Lynn Kenny opened with a 73, with Gemma Webster (77), Vikki Laing (78) and Clare Queen (80) all further down the leaderboard.