SCOTTISH CHALLENGE AT MURCAR LINKS

GARETH GETS IT WRIGHT AFTER STICKY START

TO EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR EVENT
Murray Urquhart from Inverness was the best placed Scot on four-under-par 67 at the end of the first day of the 72-hole Scottish Challenge tournament at Murcar Links on Thursday.
On a bright, sunny day, the earlier starters in the huge field of 156 had a big advantage over the second half of the field, starting after mid-day when a stiff south-easterly breeze added considerably to the degree of difficulty for the inward half.
Sweden's Klas Erikson, a former European Tour player, benefited the most by posting a 65 and then sitting back and watching all his challengers get within reach on the outward half, only to fall back as they turned into the wind.
Backing up Murray Urquhart on 68 were fellow Scots Scott Henderson, Peter Whiteford and Jamie McLeary. On the same mark was Welshman Gareth Wright from West Linton.
Gareth started badly with a bogey at the first and a double bogey at the third but he settled with a birdie at the fifth and then had an eagle 2 at the sixth. He covered the last 13 holes in five under par.
On 69 are Craig Ronald, Greig Hutcheon and Eric Ramsay who was one of many to fall foul of the new bunkers in the landing zone for drives from the newly-positioned 18th tee.
The leading 60 and ties after Friday's second round will contest the third and fourth rounds on Saturday and Sunday.

FIRST ROUND (Par 71)

65 K Eriksson (Swe).

67 A S Hansen (Den), G Paddison (NZ), M Urquhart (Sco), R Cabrera (Spa), S Manley (Wal).

68 L Brovold (Nor), S Bebb (Wal), F Andersson Hed (Swe), A Quiros (Spa), S Henderson (Sco), P Whiteford (Sco), M Ilonen (Fin), A Velasco (Spa), J McLeary (Sco), S Walker (Eng), G Wright (Wal).

69 C Ronald (Sco), M King (Eng), D Borrego (Spa), G Hutcheon (Sco), E Ramsay (Sco), R Kakko (Fin), N Cheetham (Eng), S Hurd (Eng).

70 M Crespi (Ita), J Doherty (Sco), D Drysdale (Sco), O Bergman (Swe), K Staunton (Eng), K L Jorgensen (Den), L Claverie (Spa), B McElhinney (Ire), N Walker (Eng), M Higley (Eng), C Doak (Sco), C Kelly (Sco), L Bond (Wal), B Mason (Eng).

71 M Soffietti (Ita), D Inglis (Sco), H Rey ( Arg), I Van Weerelt (Net), G Davies (Eng), I Pyman (Eng), J Elson (Eng), M Dieu (Fra), A McArthur (Sco), R Echenique (Arg), O David (Fra), J Benedetti (Col), A Garcia-Heredia (Spa), A Bossert (Swi), S Jamieson (am) (Sco), A Maestroni (Ita), C Gillies (Sco), B Hafthorsson (Ice), A Maldonaldo (Mex), M Maritz (SA), M Pilkington (Wal), D De Vooght (Bel), N Vanhootegem (Bel), A Bruschi (Ita), C Moriarty (Ire), G Rojas (Arg).

72 B Willman (Eng), S Delagrange (Fra), T Rice (Ire), K Brink (Swe), F Cea (Spa), L Storgaard (Den), R Gonzalez (Arg), M Vibe-Hastrup (Den), M Quiros (Spa), M Mouland (Wal), Z Scotland (Eng), D Robertson (Sco), G Brown (Sco), P McKechnie (Sco), D P Jones (Ire), S Fernandez (Arg).

73 M Rodriguez (Arg), R Arnott (Sco), J H Williams (Wal), R Russell (Sco), P Kaensche (Nor), G Fox (Sco), B Hume (Sco), D Orr (East Renfrewshire), M Loftus (Sco), J Little (Eng), A Noren (Swe), J Axgren (Swe), C Smith (Wal), D Lucas (Eng), G Acosta (Arg).

74 E Thomson (Sco), K Sullivan (Wal), A Lockhart (Sco), M Bernardini (Ita), C Lee (Sco), R De Sousa (Swi), I Steel (Malaya), E Rush (Eng), C Gane (Eng), G Lockerbie (Eng), A Mork (Fra), I Goroneskoul (Fra), A Salto (Spa), J Wade (Aus), C De Corral (Spa), P Linhart (Spa), P Kylliainen (Fin), G Murray (am) (Sco), G Lornie (Sco), D Mooney (NIr), J McCreadie (Sco), J Heath (Eng), J-A Larsen (Nor), J Kehoe (Ire).

75 M Persson (Swe), G Gordon (Sco), K McNicoll (am) (Sco), C Reimbold (Ger), E Little (Sco), J-P Gonnet (Fra), D Wardrop (Eng), E Saltman (am) (Sco), D Kupper (Ger).

76 G McInnes (Sco), J Hugo (SA), T Milford (Eng), I Giner (Spa), J Van Hauwe (Fra), S Struver (Ger), S Scahill (NZ), G Campbell (am) (Blairgowrie).

77 C Williams (Wal), M Smith (Eng), D Patrick (Sco), A Snobeck (Fra). R Ramsay (am) (Sco), V Phillips (Eng), B Coathalem (Fra), A Crerar (Sco).

78 P Nyman (Swe), S Robinson (Eng), A Smith (Wal), J Clement (Swi), S Davis (Eng), G Law (Sco).

79 N Zitny (Aut).

80 N Meitinger (Ger), J Hepworth (Eng).

81 A Frayne (Eng).

83 L S James (Eng).

(am) denotes amateur.

++ Leading 60 and ties at end of second round will qualify for final 36 holes on Saturday and Sunday.