DEFENDING champion Jordan Smith was disappointed with his 72 after the first round of the Brabazon Trophy yesterday.

The Bowood player, 21, lies four shots off the pace at Seaton Carew in County Durham in the English Amateur Strokeplay Championship, which he lifted at Formby last summer.

“There is pressure when you are defending champion,” he said. “My front nine was a bit scrappy and my iron play was not at its best.

"The back nine was better but I just need to get my putter a little hotter to shoot low numbers.”

Ciaran Doherty shared top spot with Cornwall’s Tom Fox and Norway’s Sebastian Mork Andersen after the first round.

The trio returned five-under-par 68s around the testing Seaton Carew course which leaves them a shot clear of the field on a day of somewhat benign conditions on the Durham coast when 44 players bettered the par of 73.

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