KEVIN Spurgeon was tonight tied in 31st place on two over par, as his quest for Seniors Tour Category One status got under way at the Tour Championship.

Ferndown touring professional Spurgeon, who needs to reclaim his top-30 place on the Order of Merit to gain a Category One card for next season, made a steady start at the Buckinghamshire GC, reaching the turn on one over par after a birdie four at the par five ninth erased bogeys at the fourth and eighth.

But a double bogey seven at the par five 10th knocked the 52-year-old back down the leader board in tough conditions.

Despite another dropped shot at the par four 13th, however, Spurgeon rallied with a brace of impressive birdie threes at 15 and 17 to complete an opening round of 74 in this season's final event.

Currently 32nd on the Seniors Tour money list, Spurgeon needs to displace Jamaican Delroy Cambridge and Englishman David Russell to breach the top-30.

Russell finished the opening day on one over par while Cambridge limped to a three over par 75.

Canadian Bruce Heuchan, meanwhile, who sits nearly 10,000 Euros ahead of Spurgeon on the money list in 29th place, fired a one under par 71 to finish tied in 15th place ahead of tomorrow's second round.