Very wet start for Scottish Alliance Championship

WEBSTER AND McINNES BOTH

SHOOT 67s IN THE RAIN AT

ARBROATH AND MONIFIETH

Edzell Golf Club professional Alastair Webster and Graeme McInnes, Murcar Links' tour pro, shared the scoring honours at different courses in the first round of the Scottish Golfers' Alliance championship today.
The field of 135 were divided between the Monifieth and Arbroath links courses but the common link was the atrocious conditions of nonstop rain.
But Webster and McInnes didn't mind getting wet. Both shot 67s, McInnes to lead by four shots over par-71 Monifieth and Webster to head the starters by three at par-70 Arbroath..
McInnes separated himself from the Monifieth field with an inward bogey-free half of 32, highlighted by birdies at the 11th, 15th and 18th.
On the way out, he had been a bit up and down - birdie at the first, bogeys at the second and fifth, birdie at the sixth, bogey at the seventh and birdies at the eighth and ninth, which all added up to one-over-par 35.
Webster had only two bogeys on his Arbroath scorecard - at the third and the 13th in halves of one-under-par 34 and two-under 33. He birdied the second, fifth, 12th, 15th and 18th.
Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) was the most notable scratching. He has stayed on the Challenge Tour instead of coming home to Scotland.
Tom Galloway (pictured above), the 97-year-old Dunfermline player, decided that it was a day for staying in the clubhouse. And who could blame him?
On Wednesday, the players switch courses. The top half of the 36-hole gross totals plus the top 10 net two-round scores will qualify for Thursday's final round over Monifieth. The remainder of the field will play their last 18 holes at Arbroath.


Leading first round scores
MONIFIETH
Par 71. CSS 74
67 G McInnes (Murcar Links).
71 C Mathieson (Falkirk Tryst), S Davidson (Banchory).
72 A Lockhart (Ladybank), D Garrett (Huntly), M McPhee (Bishopbriggs).
73 S Duncan (Balbirnie Park), S Lamb (Broomieknowe).
74 S Wilson (Forfar), R Johnston (Glenbervie), A Rothney (Deer Park).
75 L Mann (Carnoustie Links), P Jamieson (Dunblane), S Rettie (Royal Troon).
77 J Fowler (Hayston), A K Pirie (Hazlehead), E Hogarth (Peebles).
ARBROATH
Par 70 CSS 73
67 A J Webster (Edzell).
70 S Savage (Dalmuir), L Vannet (Carnoustie Golf Links), D Stewart (Grantown on Spey).
72 A Graham Crow Wood), N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh).
73 C Stephen (Meldrum House), B Fotheringham (Forres).
74 P Lamb (Biggar), C Everett (Caldwell).
75 W S Urquhart (Murcar Links), S Finnie (Caledonian), H Wong (Burntisland), B Mason (Drumoig).