What a start from Andy! Those of you following On Tour with Andy will know there have been plenty of ups and downs during a long season, but days like this are the reason Andy keeps travelling, competing and doing what he loves. The opening round of the European Legends Cup by SR Nexus at Fontanals Golf produced something rather special from our own Andrew Marshall. Andy fired a magnificent eight-under-par 64, good enough to put him one shot clear at the top of the leaderboard after the opening round. And what a scorecard it was. There certainly wasn't much boring golf involved — one eagle, nine birdies and three bogeys on his way to that 64. That's eleven holes played under par and a round that quite rightly attracted the attention of the Legends Tour. Andy hits the headlines It was lovely to open the Legends Tour website and see Andy featured prominently in their news section under the headline: “Marshall hits the heights in opening round at Fontanals.” The Tour described Andy's 64 as a “brilliant eight-under-par 64”, confirming that it had given him a one-shot advantage after the first round. After all the tournaments we've followed Andy through this year, it is particularly nice to see him sitting at the very top of the leaderboard and receiving some well-deserved recognition from the Tour itself. That's professional golf! A 64 looks wonderfully straightforward when you see it written on a leaderboard, but the scorecard tells the real story. Andy didn't have everything his own way. There were three bogeys in there, but every time he dropped a shot he continued attacking. Nine birdies would make a pretty decent day's work on their own — throw an eagle into the mix and you begin to appreciate just how much happened during those 18 holes! That's one of the things we've come to know about Andy. Whatever happened on the previous hole, there's always another opportunity waiting on the next tee. And on this occasion, he certainly took plenty of them. From Northern Ireland to a 64 It also makes the performance particularly pleasing after the last time we caught up with Andy at the NI Legends at Galgorm Castle. He wasn't 100% then, having been struggling with a heavy cold, and eventually finished tied 30th. As I wrote at the time, Andy is a sportsman who always wants to compete at the highest level and can become frustrated when he feels he hasn't quite reached the standard he expects of himself. Well, a round of 64 and the overnight lead isn't a bad way to bounce back! Professional golf can change very quickly. One week you're wondering where the next really low round is coming from and then suddenly everything clicks. A great day for Andy I've followed Andy's golf for a long time now and written plenty of these newsletters. There have been good rounds, difficult rounds and quite a few adventures along the way. But it's especially enjoyable when I can sit down and write: Andrew Marshall – 64 (-8) – Leader. Even better when the Legends Tour is writing about him as well! There is, of course, plenty of golf still to be played. Andy will know better than anyone that yesterday's 64 is now history and he'll have to go out and do it all over again. But whatever happens from here, that opening round deserves to be celebrated. One eagle. Nine birdies. A round of 64. Eight under par. And top of the leaderboard. Not a bad day's work at all! Good luck for the rest of the tournament, Andy. Everyone back home will be following your progress and hoping there is plenty more good golf to come. Come on Andy! Steve Beckham On Tour with Andy