LLOYD Saltman birdied three of the final four holes to lie just a shot off leader Englishman Chris Gane after the first round of the Madeira Islands Open.
Gane, 36, from Bromley in Kent, recorded a round of 67 to go a shot clear of early clubhouse leaders Francois Delamontagne and Saltman, with the Scot delighted with his finishing flourish.
Saltman, 25, had looked set for an unspectacular start to the tournament before his late surge allowed him to join Delamontagne in the lead early in the afternoon.
He said: “It was helpful playing in that type of wind in the Pro-Am yesterday, and also last week in Majorca the conditions were quite similar. Despite shooting five over in the end I actually played pretty well on the final day, which gave me a bit of confidence to take here.
“I got off to a nice solid start with a birdie at the third, then I dropped a shot at the seventh to drop back to level par. But I knew there were a few chances on the back nine, and I managed to come back in four under even with a bogey on the 14th, where I hit it off the cliffs but made birdie with my second ball. So I was pretty pleased with that, because it was a tough day but I stayed patient and got my rewards in the end.”
Trent Baker, The Scotsman, 20 May 2011
