Wragg leads by three shots after first 18 holes

Allyn Laing of the host club was the pick of the local competitors, posting a first round one-under-par 70, in the PokerStars Manx Classic at Mount Murray on Thursday.

But visiting golfer Robert Wragg breezed into the lead with a four-under-par 67, which he attributed to relying on his basic instincts.

The teaching professional at the South Grove Academy in Rotherham said: "I've spent the last eight years trying to perfect my swing but I've gone back to the way I used to play".

Wragg, one of the longest strikers on the PGA North Region circuit, recently turned to his former coach Haydn Selby-Green to help him to simplify his technique.

But he revealed: "It's a wonder he took me on again because I accidentally hit his foot during my first lesson! He had to go to hospital for treatment but fortunately nothing was broken."

Soon after the pair reunited, Wragg won the Yorkshire PGA Championship at Willow Valley and has clearly carried his form though to this week.

He made a perfect start with three birdies in the first four holes but finished disappointingly when he dropped a shot at the 16th, where his ball spun off the green, and on the last as he tangled with the rough.

"The course was in great condition, but testing in the wind", he added as he led by three from a quartet of players including host club professional Laing and Paul Eales.

Eales, a former European Tour player, who represents Garstang Golf and Country Hotel, described the greens as superb but "more difficult to read than Chinese algebra", although he had only one three putt on his card.

On the same mark were Chorley's Mark Bradley, like Eales a past North Region champion, and Blackburn-based John Twissell.

First round leaders: 67 Robert Wragg (Hallowes); 70 Allyn Laing (Mount Murray), Mark Bradley (Chorley), Paul Eales (Garstang), John Twissell (Taylored Golf); 72 Jonathan Kelly (Rhos-on-Sea), David Smith (Swinton Park); 73 Freddy Valenti (Pryors Hayes), Michael Brooks (Malton & Norton); 74 Simon Eaton (Nelson), Neil Cheetham (Dore & Totley), Mark Belsham (Stoneless Golf Centre), James Barr (Chilli Dip Academy), Richard Pace (Hornsea).

Other scores for local players: 77 Andrew Patterson (Rowany); 82 Jonathan Fletcher (Douglas).

The second round gets under way at 8am on Friday.

The 24 competitors will tee off at intervals of ten minutes, with the man away at 12.10pm.