Sam McLaren, James Byrne in leading eight at halfway

SCOTS BOYS TO FORE IN

PETER McEVOY TROPHY

AT COPT HEATH

Scottish Under-16 boys’ champion Sam McLaren, pictured right, from Perth and James Byrne from Banchory are in the top eight at the halfway stage of the 72-hole Peter McEvoy Trophy, one of the most prestigious early-season boys’ golf tournaments, at Copt Heath Golf Club, Solihull in the West Midlands.
Byrne’s international team-mate Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) also made the cut – top 40 and ties - with ease in joint 15th place but the fourth Scottish entry, Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) was three shots over the limit on the 148 mark.
Third-placed McLaren from the King James VI club had rounds of 69 and 71 over the 6,520yd par-71 parkland lay-out for a 376-hole tally of 140 – four shots behind the leader, Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park).
Haines had scores of 70 and 66 – against a CSS of 71 for both rounds – for 136 and starts the second day with a three-shot lead from another English boy, Andrew Johnston (North Middlesex) (70-69).
Byrne broke 70 in his second round, scoring 74 and 69 for 143 and joint eighth place.
Michael Stewart shot 73 and 71 for 144.

BRITISH BOYS CHAMPION FAILS
A total of 46 players with scores of 148 and better qualified to play Thursday’s final two rounds.
Cameron Gray had 79 and 72 for 151 and a share of 55th place in the field of 70.

A surprise non-qualifier was Matthew Nixon (Ashton under Lyne), winner of the British boys' open championship at Royal Aberdeen GC last summer. Matthew had rounds of 75 and 78 for 153.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2 x 71). CSS 145 (2 x 71)
136 M Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park) 70 66.
139 A Johnston (North Middlesex) 70 69.
140 S McLaren (King James VI) 69 71.
141 Richard Prophet (Shifnal) 72 69, B Britton (Pedham Place) 70 71.
142 E Pepperell (Drayton Park) 70 72, J Weight (Woburn) 68 74.
143 J Byrne (Banchory) 74 69, J Galbraith (Rochford Hundred) 74 69, G Porteous (Bamburgh Castle) 73 70, T Robson (Rowlands Castle) 71 72, A Mayers (Northampton Co) 71 72, S Dodds (Coventry) 70 73, O Sharpe (Minchinhampton) 68 75.
144 S Hodgson (Sunningdale) 75 69, M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 73 71, D Lloyd (Spalding) 73 71, T Fleetwood (Formby Hall) 71 73, D Renwick (Worthing) 71 73, A Best (Cleveland) 71 73, D Ginn (Sudbury) 68 76.
145 J Wilson (Formby) 75 70, B Fowles (Wentworth) 73 73, S Ballingall (Dunston Hall) 71 74.
146 R Fitzgerald (Bromborough) 75 71, A Wills (Sandiway) 75 71, D Shevill (Prudhoe) 74 72, G King (Tyrrells Wood) 74 72, J Clarke (Chelmsford) 74 72, J Bartlett (Worthing) 71 75, D Thomas (Braintree) 69 77.
147 O Glaze (The Kendleshire) 75 72, D Rowland (Boston West) 74 73, D Baskott (Coventry) 73 74, H Smart (Walton Heath) 72 75, J Vickery (Newport) 71 76, A Chesters (Hawkstone Park) 71 76.
148 L Brace (Stoke by Nayland) 68 70, O Pwearl (Stoke by Nayland) 78 70, T King (Sudbury) 77 71, J Hiluta (Chelmsford) 77 71, G Kensell (Knole Park) 57 73, N Davis (Bush Hill Park) 74 74, J Shepherd (The Wisley) 73 75, B Downing (Truro) 73 75, M Swan (Stoke by Nyland) 72 76.
Non-qualifiers included:
149 M Kippen (Enmore Park) 76 73, T Chatfield (Clandon Regis) 76 73, T Berry (Wentworth) 76 73, J Sims (Caldy) 76 73, S Buckie (Mapperley) 74 75.
150 G Boyd (Donaghadee) 78 72, R Gowers (Brockenhurst Manor) 75 75, P Cutler (Port Stewart) 75 75.
151 C Gray (West Kilbride) 79 72, M Johnson (Chipping Norton) 77 74, A Rees (East Brighton) 75 76, J Howie (Royal St David's) 73 78.

152 C Tarren (Dinsdale) 80 72, N Lofthouse (North Wales) 79 73, B Enoch (Truro) 78 74, L Lennox (Moyola Park) 78 74, J Smith (Warwickshire) 76 76, A Mayers (Northampton Co) 76 76, S Lee (North Hants) 74 78.

153 M Nixon (Ashton Under Lyne) 75 78.

157 J Hiscock (Marlborough) 76 81.

159 D Bishop (Walton Heath) 76 83.

160 B Cooper (Bishops Stortford) 78 82.

166 M Helyard (Beverley & East Riding) 84 82.