Farrelly and Jonzon Shine as Storm Gives Way to Low Scores in Italy

• Craig Farrelly and Michael Jonzon share the lead at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open.
• Phillip Archer, Mark Brown, Simon Khan and Peter Baker are two shots back.

Craig Farrelly and Michael Jonzon each carded an 8-under-par 64 to share the opening-round lead at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open at San Domenico Golf in Puglia on Thursday.

Twenty-four hours earlier the course had been battered by severe storms, with torrential rain leaving bunkers waterlogged. By the time the field teed off it had recovered well enough for low scoring throughout the day.

Farrelly out in 30

Farrelly went out among the early starters and made five birdies on the front nine to turn in 5-under-par 30. Four more followed on the back nine, and his only blemish came at the par-3 12th, as the Englishman set the clubhouse target at 8-under.

He said his ball-striking had been inconsistent early on, but he stayed patient and adjusted to the shifting wind.

Low round of the day 🔥 Farrelly and Jonzon fire opening rounds of 64, eight-under par, to set the pace at San Domenico Golf. Jonzon went bogey-free and finished eagle-birdie, while Farrelly carded nine birdies with just one bogey. #StaysureLegendsTour #SeniorItalianOpen https://t.co/g71Dnc2TUm

— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) October 22, 2026

Jonzon finds his rhythm

Jonzon, a two-time DP World Tour winner who topped Staysure Legends Tour Qualifying School earlier this year, matched that target with a bogey-free 64.

The Swede started on the 10th and chipped in for eagle at the par-4 17th, his eighth hole. He then made five birdies on his closing nine, the last of them at the 9th, to join Farrelly at the top.

Jonzon has struggled for form in recent weeks. He put the turnaround down to his driving and putting, and said he had found a rhythm in which the game suddenly felt easy.

Four tied for third

Archer, Brown, 2010 BMW PGA Championship winner Khan and Ryder Cup player Baker all signed for 66 to sit on 6-under.

Archer played alongside Farrelly and kept pace with his fellow Englishman by making five birdies on the back nine, including the 17th and 18th, to finish bogey-free. Archer and Brown were also two shots off the lead after the first round of the Reignwood Legends Championship in Beijing earlier this month.

Brown reached 7-under and was within a shot of the leaders until he bogeyed his final hole, the 9th, which dropped the New Zealander back into the group on 6-under.

Scott Drummond, Patrik Sjöland, Thomas Gögele, Andrew McLardy, David Drysdale, Mikael Lundberg and Alastair Forsyth are on 5-under after 67s. Gögele, Lundberg, Drysdale and Forsyth all finished inside the top ten when Steven Alker won the NI Legends at Galgorm in September.

David Howell made four birdies in his first five holes before dropped shots ended his early run.

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