Raitt shows off his driving prowess

Not many people go from Surrey to Newcastle via Calais, but it did not do golfer Andrew Raitt any harm today.

The 32-year-old began the £600,000 (€935,000) Great North Open at Slaley Hall with a four-under-par 68 to be only two behind Spanish leader Diego Borrego.

The reason for Raitt’s unusual journey was that when he left home at 4.30am on Wednesday it was to play in the £60,000 (€93,000) Luxembourg Open.

When he had reached French soil, though, he was telephoned and told a place in the European tour event had opened up for him.

Raitt turned his car round, got on another ferry, went back home, then after hitting some balls, having a bath and helping to put his daughter Georgia to bed headed north.

‘‘I stopped driving at 11pm, then got up again at 5.30am,’’ he said. Teeing off a little over three hours later, he bogeyed the first, but eagled the long 11th after a superb three-wood to four feet and played the inward half in 32.

Raitt lost his tour card last season, then underwent shoulder surgery and did not play from November to April.

Even with only two of this season’s top 20 in the Order of Merit taking part - Barry Lane had a 71 and Malcolm Mackenzie a 72 - he is not setting his sights too high yet.

‘‘This was just a chance to come and try and make some money to pay for the Challenge Tour,’’ added Raitt.

‘‘I’m fifth on the rankings there and I’ll concentrate on it again after this.’’