PLEASINGTON professional Ged Furey played the best round of his season to steer himself and amateur partner Geoff Wilson into a first round lead in the Lombard Top Club Trophy Grand Final in San Lorenzo, Portugal.

The East Lancashire pair combined superbly to shoot a nine under par 63 for a two shot lead over the team from Rushcliffe, Leicestershire professional Chris Hall and amateur Doug Thornton and three ahead of Hallamshire professional Geoff Tickell and amateur Bob Liverside.

Furey, a 36-year-old former PGA Cup player, was clearly delighted with his own performance and the way the two had combined with Wilson, a joiner from Blackburn, using his handicap shots to good effect for three nett birdies.

Furey said: "I think the reason we play well together is because we are both so competitive. "It's difficult to keep your feet on the ground at times, especially when we're playing so well and scoring birdies, but we have got to plug away and do the same tomorrow."

The pair opened up a clear lead over the rest of the field when they turned in six under par 30.

And a nett birdie by seven handicap Wilson at the 12th-followed by Furey birdie at the 14th when he hit a five iron to 12 feet-maintained the challenge.

Furey clearly sensed the pair were on a real roll and a wedge to eight feet at the 17th for his sixth birdie of the day was a superb finale to their first round.

The 16 teams competing in the Grand Final of the Lombard Top Club Trophy qualified from an initial entry of 1,000 golf clubs and more than 100,000 amateurs. Lombard announced at the eve of event dinner that they would continue to sponsor the Top Club Trophy until the year 2000 in a sponsorship deal worth £2 million.

Geoff said: "We slotted well together. Ged played great and pulled me through the last few holes. He's a great man to have on your side.

"But we're only halfway there and we've got to go out and do the same tomorrow."

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