Champions UK plc European Senior Masters – Round One After another excellent performance last week, finishing fourth and moving up to 14th in the Legends Tour Order of Merit, Andrew Marshall returned to action at La Manga in Spain. However, the opening round proved a frustrating affair, with Marshy signing for a one-over-par 74, despite creating plenty of birdie opportunities. Starting from the 10th tee, Andy faced testing conditions, with the wind making the 11th and 12th particularly difficult. Both were safely negotiated in par before a two-putt birdie at the par-five 13th took him under par. A steady par followed at the 14th, but trouble arrived at the tricky 15th. An errant tee shot found a bunker, leaving an awkward lie and little option but to lay up. A fine approach gave him a chance to save par, but the putt wouldn't drop, resulting in a bogey five. Solid pars at 16 and 17 steadied the ship before two excellent shots found the par-five 18th in two. Unfortunately, a three-putt meant another birdie opportunity had slipped away, and Marshy reached the turn at level par. The second nine became a story of missed opportunities. Birdie chances came and went at the 1st and particularly the 2nd, where a superb tee shot finished within ten feet of the hole. Further opportunities followed at the 3rd, 4th and 5th, but the putter was proving colder than cold! Another wayward tee shot at the par-five 6th was followed by a visit to the water, resulting in a bogey six. There were still opportunities to recover. Long birdie putts narrowly missed over the closing holes, and a fine drive down the par-five 9th offered one final chance. However, a pulled second shot missed the green, and an unusually disappointing chip left Marshy settling for par. One birdie, two bogeys and fifteen pars. A round of 74, one over par. Meanwhile, at the top of the leaderboard... While Andy struggled to get the putter working, some remarkable scoring was taking place elsewhere on the course. Van Phillips and Matthew Cort share the opening-round lead after both producing outstanding eight-under-par rounds of 65. Just one shot behind are Jean Hugo and Felipe Aguilar, both on seven under par after rounds of 66. With the leaders already eight under par, Marshy has some ground to make up, but as we've seen throughout this season, he is more than capable of producing a low round when everything clicks. Three weeks on the road Perhaps three weeks of travelling and competitive golf are beginning to take their toll. Add in an opening round that took nearly six hours to complete, and it's hardly surprising that tiredness might become a factor. Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives. Andy continued to give himself birdie opportunities, and his overall consistency remains impressive. He arrived in Spain sitting 14th in the 2026 Legends Tour Order of Merit, with 1,472.3 points, following another excellent result last week. Hopefully, a good night's rest and a warmer putter will see Marshy moving in the right direction tomorrow. There's still plenty of golf to play! Thanks to Melly Harbour for the excellent on-course report. Photos to follow tomorrow. Steve – On Tour with Andy