David Oakley believes that things are best second time round. At least that's how it has proved for the Virginian who shared the overnight lead with countryman Ray Carrrasco after the first day's play in the £560,000 British Seniors' Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The both carded a two-underpar 70 during a day of blustery winds. Oakley played the regular US Tour in his twenties but after four or five years quit the golf business entirely for 12 years. At the age of 49 I turned pro again and here I am," explained Oakley (55) who revelled revealed that finishing second in the British Seniors at Royal Portrush three years ago gave him the confidence to continue.

An eagle three at the ninth hole yesterday left him out in two-under-par and he went four under with birdies at the 10th and 12th but lost the advantage when missing the green at the par four 15th and the 18th after pushing his drive into rough.

Ray Carrasco got off to a blistering start with a hat-trick of birdies from the second hole. After his fourth birdie at the ninth the Californian turned four under but then made seven pars and two bogeys - at the 12th and 16th - on the way home.

The only others to break par were John Morgan, Antonio Garrido and Guy Hunt and it wasn't a glorious day for the Irish with Denis O'Sullivan and amateur Frank Gannon leading the home challenge on 73.

Gannon turned two over par and picked up a stroke at the long 10th where he was putting for an eagle. He also had birdies at the short 14th and long 17th. O'Sullivan made two birdies in his steady 73.

It wasn't a great start to the tournament for Christy O'Connor, junior, who handed in a 76. He suffered three bogeys in a row from the third hole but then made back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th holes but the wheels then really came off. `Junior' three-putted the 11th, got a bad lie off the next tee to drop another shot and then suffered triple-bogey seven at the 13th where a wrong club selection cost him dearly.

However, he regained some of the lost ground with birdies at the 16th and 18th.