An opening round 67 ensured Stamford golfer Ian Richardson and Peter Beeke took a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the PGA Super 60's tournament staged at Lincolnshire's Forest Pines club.
Burghley Park's Richardson and his 65-year-old partner, who finished ninth here last year, fired six under par in blustery conditions in Scunthorpe to take a narrow lead over the pairings of Roger Fidler and Graham Williams and Graham Burroughs and Peter Keeble (Boyce Hill).
The pair made a blistering start, gaining shots at five holes on the outward nine before their momentum was slowed by bogeys at the 10th, 12th and 14th.
But they finished strongly, picking up shots at the 15th and 18th holes as well as gaining two at the par three 16th.
A delighted Richardson, 61, said: "I enjoyed watching my partner play that's for sure. He played great.
"We played last year and finished in the top 10. It's our second time here, we're trying to get them in while we can! We will just go out there on Thursday and enjoy it."
Richardson paid tribute to the Forest Pines course, which was designed by the late John Morgan, one of his former colleagues on the Seniors Tour.
"For me it's one of the best courses we have got in the country. People ought to go out there and enjoy it."
Keeble added: "We fitted in well. I got two shots against my handicap all the way around. Ian got three birdies and I got one birdie so that counted well. We played well together. We're both local Lincolnshire boys so it's nice to do well here."
Former professional Fidler and Williams (West Kent) scored well at both the beginning and end of their round, picking up shots at three of the opening five holes as well as the 16th and 17th.
Fidler, 68, said: "It was good. The course was in excellent condition. It was a bit blustery, it wasn't easy, you just had to keep going.
"We combined well, I holed a few putts when I had to. We had a few chances but we didn't take them.
"We kept the score together pretty well. That was the important thing, when we could have dropped a shot we putted well."
Tied for second with the pair are 60-year-old Burroughs and Williams, who made a dream debut at the par 73 course to finish with a 68 after picking up shots at the second, fourth, eighth, 11th and 17th.
"We were pleased with how we played, we did all right," Burroughs said.
"It's a lovely course, really nice. We pitched it well and we had a few birdies so it wasn't bad.
"Peter had a 10-foot putt that went in the hole and came out and I didn't get down in two from just off the edge of the 15th for par five but you make it up with birdies in other holes.
Just a shot further back on three under are a trio of pairings, with Bolton's Bob Longworth and Gerry Delaney joined by last year's runners-up Gordon Gray and Marshall Douglas and another duo making their first visit to Forest Pines, siblings David Butler and Paul Butler.
Five sets of players are just one shot behind on three under par with reigning champion Frank Hill and Brian Underwood (Thorpeness) among the six teams on two under.