Andrew Oldcorn laments lack of senior action

The European Senior Tour has yet to crank up for the season and, when it does, there are meagre pickings this year on the over-50s circuit. “The Senior Tour is decimated,” said Oldcorn after a three-under-par 69 in Ayrshire to sit joint fifth on five-under, two shots off the lead, heading into the final round of the P&H Championship.

“I could have played 21 in my first year. Now, if you take out the majors, there are nine regular events. It’s very disappointing,” added the former PGA champion from Edinburgh.

His first senior outing of the season is a major – next month’s US Senior PGA in Michigan.

“We’ve not played a European Senior Tour event for six months and we’re expected to go into a major and compete against guys who are playing week in, week out on the Champions Tour in the US,” added Oldcorn. “I’m lucky I’ve got the Tartan Tour to fall back on.”

The same probably applies to Robert Arnott as he waits to benefit from securing his Senior Tour card, yet the Bishopbriggs Golf Range man carded a brace of 69s to share the lead with Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) and Louis Gaughan (Bathgate).

A 25-year veteran on the Tartan Tour, Arnott described himself as an “old dog with nae tricks” but that’s doing himself an injustice after he moved into contention with three birdies in four holes from the 12th.

Fox finished bogey, double-bogey for a 70 and said: “It was going swimmingly until the last two holes. I’m still up there, though.” As is Gaughan, 20, who has been juggling club commitments with trying to record his biggest win. He said: “I had to go back to Bathgate to coach juniors on Monday and I might have to help tonight.”

At Royal Montrose, fog  affected the first round of the Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters, with play having to be suspended for much of the day.