Arnold O'Connor from Elm Park shot a four-under-par 69 to take second place behind Jim Rhodes of Wolverhampton in yesterday's opening round of the Scottish Life/Ben Sayers Senior Club Professional championship at a sun-drenched Coventry Golf Club. Another boost for the Irish came when Adam Whiston from Royal Tara had a hole-in-one at the 203yard 17th.

O'Connor, who plans to play every event in the European Seniors Tour this season, had his long game to thank for taking the pressure off his putter. "That's always been my weak link," he confessed.

"With these new metal woods I'm now reaching the greens at par-fives that I couldn't do 20 years ago."