The 2022 winner of the Swiss Seniors Open at Golf Club Bad Ragaz, James Kingston, played well from tee-to-green on Friday as he went in search of a first win of the season on the Legends Tour.
He registered an eagle and five birdies in his round of 64 for a share of a one stroke lead over his nearest pursuer.
The South African admits to his love of this short, yet tactical golf course and how it really is a “horses for courses” venue: “It absolutely is. Sometimes you when you’re on the way to an event, you either sit there dreading it, because you’re not sure how you’re going to play, or you sit there and you say, I know this is like a doctor’s consulting room – I’m going to get better when I get there! There’s something about this place that makes you feel like playing golf. The golf course is in super condition.
“I played solid enough and had a few chances, I gave myself plenty of short irons into the greens. If you had offered me six-under-par at the start of the day, then I would have been happy with that.
“I didn’t feel like I was playing my best here in practice this week, but I came out today and hit some really good shots – I hit the shots I wanted to hit most of the time. This is the kind of golf course where all you want to do is just stay in touch from round one. You don’t want to feel like you’ve fallen behind.”
Kingston sits at the top of the leaderboard alongside Adilson Da Silva, the defending champion of this event. The Brazilian won on the Legends Tour last month, claiming the OFX Irish Legends title at Seapoint Golf Links after a play-off.
It is a strong start to the week from the player who sits in 4th place on the MCB Road To Mauritius standings going into this week: “I managed just to keep it in play and hit good tee shots, giving myself some chances with the second shots. It’s not a secret that this golf course is about keeping it in play and just giving yourself nice wedge shots from the fairway. It’s not really a long course, but you’ve got to get your tee shot in the right spot. Coming into the greens from the wrong angle it’s kind of tricky, the rough is not really up, but it’s firm and you can get some strange lies – so yeah, it’s a bit tricky.
“Early on was kind of a tricky because the wind was strong. We weren’t expecting that because the last couple of days have been perfect. It was difficult to get the right club because the wind was coming across the course.
“I feel comfortable in this course. You make a plan, you adapt, and you have to adapt quickly. The main thing for me is just trying to keep focus, not letting my mind sort of go sideways, and to be happy. If I just keep focus, do what I want to do and keep the plan going, I’ll be happy.”
