CAMPBELL COMES IN LATE
TO SHARE SCOTS HONOURS
WITH THE TWO PAULS

Skibo Castle's Christopher Campbell (pictured right) came in late in the day with a three-over-par 74 to join Paul Cormack from Inchmarlo, Banchory and South Wales-based Paul Doherty as the leading Scots on three-over-par 74 on the opening day of the second PGA EuroPr0 Tour event of the year - the Oceanico Group Irish Classic at Roganstown Golf Club today.
Irishman Noel Fox and Englishman Christopher Hanson shared the lead with a five-under-par 66.
Campbell, playing out of the Carnegie Club, had birdies at the fifth, 10th and 14th but a double-bogey 6 at the sixth, a treacherous short hole that ruined many a scorecard.
Paul Cormack had an eagle 3 at the fifth but no birdies, only bogeys at the first, third, eighth, ninth and 15th.
Former Scottish boys’ match-play champion Doherty had birdies at the fifth, 14th and 17th but marred his card with a triple bogey 6 at the short sixth.
Aberdonian Neil Mitchell had a 75 which was a mixed bag of birdies at the fourth, fifth and sixth but bogeys at the second, third, ninth, 12th, 13th, 14th and 16th in halves of 35 and 40.
Graeme Brown from Montrose also had a 75, despite double b0geys at the short ninth and long 10th. He had birdies at the second and 15th.
A second Aberdonian, Graham Gordon, the former Scottish amateur champion, also finished on 75 after a dreadful start of bogey-bogey-double bogey. Out in 40, Graham birdied the 10th and 11th but dropped a shot at the 15th
Rookie pro Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw), who did well in his last out, got a reminder that playing golf for a living is not always as easy as picking apples off a tree. He finished on 79, taking 41 shots for the inward half, including a double bogey 6 at the 15th and a bogey at the 18th.
Alastair Mackenzie (Liberton) had a 78 which had a triple bogey 6 at the short sixth and a double bogey 6 at the 16th. He did birdie the 14th, 17th and 18th in halves of 40 and 38.
Lee Harper, the former Scottish boys match-play champion from Musselburgh, now attached to Archerfield Links, also hit the seven-over 78 mark with halves of 36 and 42. He had a horrendous inward half - a triple bogey 8 at the long 10th and a triple bogey 7 at the 15th, brightened only by a birdie 4 at the long 18th.
Paul Doherty’s older brother Jack did not enjoy himself in returning an 81 which included a double bogey 5 at the short sixth and a double bogey 7 at the lonth 10th.
Welshman Alex Smith had a hole in one at the 187yd 17th with a seven-iron on his way to matching the par of 71, which put him in joint 15th place.
LEADING SCORES
Par 71
66 N Fox (Team Ireland), C Hanson (Crosland Heath).
67 G Bateman (Royal Eastbourne).
68 L Walker (Dundalk), A Scallon (Eng).
69 M Dearden (Wales), D Sugrue (Ireland), M Cort (England), R Harris (Blankney), R Steele (Kenilworth), H Santos (Portugal), M Laskey (Brocket Hall), M Searle (Woodbury Park).
Scots’ scores:
74 P Cormack (Inchmarlo), P Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan), C Campbell (Carnegie Skibo).
75 N Mitchell (Murcar Links), G Brown (Montrose), G Gordon (Newmachar).
78 A Mackenzie (Liberton), L Harper (Archerfield Links), F Valenti (Pryors Haynes).
79 E Saltman (Craigielaw).
81 J Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan).