Ivobank PGA Europro Tour event in Devon

Scots up and down on first

day at windy Dartmoor

Scots Callum Nicoll and Graeme Brown are snapping at the leader's heels but former national amateur champion Barry Hume had a nightmare round of 80 on the first day of the Ivobank PGA Europro Tour event at Bovey Castle on windy Dartmoor in Devon.

Prestwick's Nicoll (picture right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved) and Brown, now attached to Dalmahoy, had two-under-par 68s, Nicoll responding well to a double-bogey 6 at the first and finishing with an eagle 3 flourish at the 18th.

Brown, in contrast, finished poorly when he was set to overtake Irish pacemaker Gregory Bowden's 67.

The Montrose man bogeyed the 16th, 17th and 18th.

Hume packed all sorts of adventures into mediocre halves of 40.

He had a double bogey 6 at the first, a triple bogey 8 at the long 12th and a double-bogey 6 at the 13th. His only birdie came at the short 14th.

Also on 80 is former North-east District team player Neil Mitchell (Murcar Links) with halves of 35 and 45. He had already collected a double bogey 7 at the sixth but far worse was to follow. He had a double bogey 5 at the short 11th, a triple bogey 7 at the 13th and double bogey 6 at the 15th.

It wasn't all gloom for Mitchell. He had birdies at the second, third and eighth.

SCOREBOARD

Par 70

67 G Bowden (Ire).

68 C Nicoll (Prestwick), P Maddy (Eng), G Brown (Dalmahoy, C Gill (Eng), C Hanson (Eng).

69 R Hillas (Eng), J Bevitt (Eng), J Kehoe (Ire), M Le Mesurier (Eng), B Montgomery (Eng), L Kelly (ProDream USA).

Other Scots scores:

70 P Doherty.

71 G Gordon, A Oldcorn.

72 M Kerr.

74 J Doherty.

75 C McCalman.

76 E Saltman.

78 S Mackie.

80 B Hume, N Mitchell.