Bill McColl holds a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Senior PGA Professional Championship at Northamptonshire County Golf Club.
McColl, representing Leigh Driving Range in Essex, shot a two-under-par 68 in testing conditions.
He birdied the 519-yard par-five second and the par-four fourth as he got off to a flying start, only to drop back with a bogey at the par-three sixth.
McColl found himself back at level par after dropping a shot at the 402-yard par-four seventh but a two at the 135-yard 12th and a three at the par-four 14th took him back to two under.
McColl dropped one at the 16th but a magnificent approach at 17 set him up for a three at the 460-yard par-four 17thand although he missed a five-foot birdie putt at the last he was still pleased with his day's work.
"The key was putting," he said. "I'm trying to go full-time on the senior's tour so I'm looking to get some game together.
"The course was great. It is in fantastic condition, especially considering the weather.
"If you don't make your putts, you don't make a score."
The weather was torrid throughout the day, with rain falling almost constantly and a stiff breeze at times.
Mike Gallagher and Donald Stirling are tied for second on one-under par after scoring 69.
Gallagher, who lives locally and is representing Farthingstone in Northamptonshire, birdied the second but dropped back to par at the 181-yard par three third.
He birdied four before bogeying seven only to rectify that immediately at the eighth.
He dropped a shot at the 377-yard par-four 14th but he birdied the par-five last to finish under par.
He said: "I had to keep it on the fairway."
"I only used the driver three times today.
"It was a bit difficult to see first thing this morning but I think we might have had the best of the weather."
Stirling birdied the fourth but dropped a shot at the par-four seventh.
A birdie at the 384-yard 11th took the Austria-based player under par and he pared the closing holes to stay there.
"I was trying to keep the bogeys off the card," he said.
"On a day like this you just try and keep it to par then pinch the odd birdie here and there."
Paul Milton, representing Surbiton, is fourth after a level-par 70 on a day when most of the field found the conditions too testing to get anywhere near par.