Turner enjoying playing in home town

Greg Turner does not play so much nowadays, but he was enjoying being back at the Chisholm Links.

He shot a 1-under 70 in yesterday’s first round of the New Zealand Legends Masters.

That left him in the mix, although he was five shots behind two-shot leader Peter Fowler, of Australia.

It was a round that left Turner happy, joking that he did not embarrass himself.

He was enjoying being back playing a significant tournament in Dunedin, having grown up in the city before embarking on a successful career overseas.

"I grew up playing around here, so I’ve got many very happy memories," Turner, who now lives in Arrowtown, said.

"And it’s nice to be back with a bunch of these guys who I’ve played a lot with at various times over 30 years.

"The good thing with seniors golf is it’s competitive, but it’s not the end of the world, I think most people realise.

"So it’s a bit more relaxed than it was in the old days on the tour."

While still heavily involved in the sport, it is more off the course where Turner now has his impact.He has a course design business, which keeps him busy, as does doing some television commentary on the side.

Playing has to fit around that.

While he tried to play several tournaments over the New Zealand winter in Europe, he tended to limit playing to two or three times a month.

Two rounds in two days might seem like a lot by that standard and some local knowledge may help Turner heading into today.

"I don’t have any expectations.

"I actually hit some quite good shots today [yesterday] which was nice.

"So if I hit some good shots and make a couple of putts, we’ll see.

"We’ll see what the weather gives us.

"I think it’s going to be a southerly tomorrow, so it’ll be like a completely different course.

"I know that better than some of these guys.

"But who knows, if I can hit some nice shots maybe I’ll shoot 60-something."