James Byrne first-round exit a

shock for North-east hopes

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

For North-east golf followers, the big shock of the opening day of the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Carnoustie was the first-round knock-out of James Byrne of Banchory.

James, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, went out at the 20th to Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs).

It's all gone pear-shaped for James this year. Twelve months ago he wins the Scottish boys' open stroke-play title, gets his first full cap in the men's home internationals and also is one of the six in the Scotland side for the European men's team championship.

This year, after coming home late from the NCAA championship in America, he doesn't get a mention for the European team.

All the seeds in action made progress with varying degrees of comfort - top seed Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan), No 4 seed Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), No 5 seed Paul O'Hara (Colville Park), No 6 seed Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), No 8 seed Scott Henry (Cardross).

Incidentally, how can a player win two SGU Order of Merit events this season and come a close second in a third and be seeded eighth behind players who have not even gone close to winning a 72-hole tournament this year?

It's not all that long ago that the names of the seeds were not made public, not printed with a "*" in the programme. Then we progressed to having them marked with a "*" but we were not told which order they were seeded.

John Gallagher (Swanston New) won the championship last year as an unseeded player. He's unseeded again this year and won his opening tie.

Nice to see "old man" Ian Hutcheon from Monifieth returning to his happy hunting ground at Carnoustie to beat the 18-year-old North-east boys champion Adam Dunton on the last green.

Sixty-six years young, Ian Hutcheon is still a perfectionist. Still loves practising until he gets things right. I interviewed him three or four weeks ago at Monifieth and Ian gave me the impression that he feels his game is in good enough nick to get through to the later stages of the championship.

All the first-day results:

FIRST ROUND

(Seeded players in blue print with seed number after their name)

George Crawford (Williamwood) bt Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 4 and 2.
Ross Coull (Edzell) bt David Ferguson (Paisley) 4 and 3.
Chris Kneen Castletown) bt Fraser Henderson (Craigielaw) 3 and 2.
Glenn Taylor (Meldrum House) bt Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall).
Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) bt Douglas Thorburn (Thurso) at 19th.
CALLUM MACAULAY (1) (Tulliallan) bt Graham Sharp (Dumfries & Co) 3 and 2.
Andrew McLachlan (Bonnyton) bt Scott Dingwall (Muir of Ord) 1 hole.
Stephen Carruthers (Pitlochry) bt Joe Lockie (Tantallon) at 19th.

Scott Knowles (Kingsknowe) bt Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 3 and 2.
Wilson Bryson (Drumpellier) bt Gordon McGarva (Canada) 6 and 4.
Myles Cunningham (Longniddry) bt Stuart Wilson (Forfar) 4 and 2.
Martin Stein (Craigielaw) bt Ian Brotherton (Dumfries & Co) 2 and 1.
Neil Howitt (Nairn) bt Lindsay Miller (Cawder) 2 holes.
Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) bt Graeme Millar (Swanston New) 7 and 6.
Kristofer Harper (Carnoustie) bt Steven Mann (Newmachar) 6 and 5.
David Brown (Carluke) bt Chris Lawton (Stirling) 4 and 3.

Iain Thomson (Powfoot) bt John Sloan (Doon Valley) 3 and 1.
Paul Betty (Hayston) bt Gavin Smith (Stirling) 1 hole.
Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) bt Steven Maxwell (Windyhill) 1 hole.
Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) bt James Byrne (Banchory) at 20th.
Alistair Lauder (Paisley) bt Zack Saltman (Craigielaw) 2 holes.
Gregor Stewart (Murcar Links) bt Craig Haugh (Cathkin Braes) 2 and 1.
Robert Scott (Strathaven) bt Chris Heslip (Monifieth) 3 and 1.
Derek Paton (Dunnikier Park) bt Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 2 and 1.

Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) bt Mark Thomson (Grange) 2 and 1.
Ross Bell (Downfield) bt Ross Noon (Longniddry) 2 holes.
Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) bt David Murray (Blairgowrie) 2 holes.
Ian C Hutcheon bt Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 1 hole.
Paul Drake (Pumpherston) bt Iain Reid (Letham Grange) at 20th.
Simon Lockhart (Bathgate) bt Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 1 hole.
SCOTT HENRY (8) (Cardross) bt David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 2 and 1.
Ross Crowe (Newcastle United) bt Bobby Rushford (Grangemeouth) 2 and 1.

GAVIN DEAR (4) (Murrayshall) bt Richard Johnston (Glenbervie) 7 and 5.
George Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark) bt John McMahon (Cardross) 2 holes.
Alexander Main (Thornton) bt Mark Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) 4 and 3.
Campbell Donaldson (Downfield) bt Stephen Simants (Dunbar) 7 and 6.
Graham Burnett (Swanston New) bt Steven Hume (Murrayshall) at 21st.
Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) bt John Miller (Gullane) 3 and 2.
Kevin Weir (St Andrews New) bt Jonathan Walkden (Royal Montrose) 4 and 3.
Dean Yeats (Nigg Bay) bt Keith Law (Letham Grange) at 21st.

Jonathan King (Glasgow) bt Scott Moffat (Braehead) 2 and 1.
Scott Stewart-Cation (Balbirnie Park) bt Douglas Waugh (Baberton) 4 and 3.
Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) bt Richard Gill (Craigmillar Park) 2 and 1.
Daniel Harrison (Crieff bt Jamie Nielson (Dunbar) 3 and 1.
Barry Scott (Lochmaben) bt Paul McGhee (East Renfrewshire) at 19th.
Douglas Hunter (Dalmahoy) bt Gary Dvison (St Andrews New) 1 hole.
Colin Mundie (Falkirk) bt Stephen Keane (Cathkin Braes) 4 and 3.
Neil McKinnon (Murcar Links) bt Colin Kellyt (Kirkhill) at 22nd.

Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) bt Joshua Clarke (Royal Montrose) at 19th.
Fraser McKenna (Balmore) bt Michael Campbell (Renfrew) 4 and 2.
Daniel Elder (Carnoustie) bt Charles Simpson (Bruntsifield Links) 5 and 4.
John Gallagher (Swanston New) bt Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 5 and 4.
Robert Carson bt George Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 2 and 1.
Brian Erskine (Leven) bt Gordon Sangster (Cathkin Braes) at 19th.
Derek Anderson (Cochrane Castle) bt Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) at 19th.
Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) bt David Henderson (Hamilton) 6 and 5.

David Morrison (Duff House Royal) bt Les Pirie (Millport) 3 and 2.
Stewart Smith (Arbroath Artisans) bt David Cardwell (Greenburn) 5 and 4.
Michael Watson (Elgin) bt Gregor Munro (Ranfurly Castle) 7 and 6.
PAUL O'HARA (5) (Colville Park) bt Tom Blennerhassett (Dalmahoy) 2 and 1.
Scott Mann (Carnoustie) bt Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 3 and 2.
James Hendrick (Pollock) bt William Anderson (Cambuslang) 4 and 3.
James Gilmour (Harburn) bt Ian Craik (Portlethen) 3 and 1.

Neil Moore (St Andrews New) bt Paul Gault (Westerwood) 2 holes.

MICHAEL STEWART (6) (Troon Welbeck) bt Gordon Miller (Cawder) 3 and 2.

Seeded players still to play:

KEIR McNICOLL (3) (Carnoustie).

GLENN CAMPBELL (7) (Blairgowrie).

WALLACE BOOTH (2) (Comrie.