KIRKPATRICK TOP OF THE SCOTS IN
HOOTERS EVENT IN FLORIDA

Edinburgh exile David Kirkpatrick was the leading Scot in joint seventh place with a four-under-par 68 before the end of play in the first round of the latest Hooters Tour event at Stonegate Golf Club at Solvita, Florida today.
Kirkpatrick, who has lived at Lakeland, Florida for the past decade, birdied the second, foufrth, ninth, 11th, 15th and 18th with shots dropped only at the third and 16th in halves of 34.
Russell Knox from Inverness but based in Jacksonville, Florida since graduating after four years at the local university matched the par of 72 to be joint 36th.
Scott Jamieson from Glasgow had an uncharacteristically sloppy round of 75 with double bogeys at the par-4 fifth and the short 16th. He also bogeyed the second and ninth. An eagle 3 at the long sixth and a birdie 4 at the long 14th could not repair the damage of halves of 38.
Nick Gilliam from Gainesville, Florida set the pace with a seven-under-par 65, one ahead of Ian Hessles from Duluth, Georgia.
There were still some 30-odd players to finish at the time of writing.