Five birdies in a row: Paul McPhee shares McGregor Trophy lead

Perth teenager Paul McPhee has begun the English Under-16 boys' open stroke-play championship for the McGregor Trophy in excellent fashion at High Post Golf Club, Salisbury in Wiltshire today.
Paul, a member of the King James VI Golf Club - a hotbed for promising young golfers, shot a three-under-par 67 to share the lead with Rhys Pugh from Vale of Glamorgan.
They posted their scores before the wind got up to make things more difficult for the afternoon starters of whom only England's Ben Herbert from Clacton-on-Sea, was able to join them on the 67 mark at the end of an international field of 130.
McPhee was the Scottish Under-14 boys' champion at Deeside Golf Club in 2006.
Paul would have been the clear leader but for a weak finish: a double bogey 6 at the par-4 16th and a shot dropped at the short 17th.
But, on the credit side, he had a magnificent run of five successive birdies from the seventh to the 12th and he also had birdies at the second and 15th. Apart from his late shots dropped, McPhee bogeyed the fourth in halves of 33 (three under par) and 34 (level par).
Deeside's Jack Scott had two halves of 37 for his 74, which gave him a share of 33rd place overnight, but both Ian Redford (King James VI) and Calum Stewart (Brora) struggled on the outward half. Both turned in 41 and came home in 36 for 77s to be bracketed in joint 60th position.
Redford had double bogeys at the fourth, ninth and 16th.
Stewart had a triple bogey 7 at the fourth but he birdied the sixth and 10th.
Scott Gibson from Southerness posted a 78 (40-38) for joint 73rd position.
Rodger Clarke (Moray), like Stewart, has made a long journey to Wiltshire from the North of Scotland. He had an outward half of 41 on his way to a round of 80 and a share of 90th place.
The leading 40 players and ties after 36 holes will qualify for the final two rounds.

HOW THEY STAND
FIRST ROUND
Par 70
67 R Pugh (Vale of Glamorgan), P McPhee (King James VI) 33-34, B Hebert (Clacton-on-Sea).
69 E Peters (Beeston Fields), P Thomas (Bel), J Brockington (Henley).
70 S Crookall-Nixon (Workington), S Jones (Canons Brook). .
Other Scots' scores
74 J Scott (Deeside) 37-37 (jt 33rd).
77 Ian Redford (King James VI) 41-36, C Stewart (Brora) 41-36 (jt 60th).
78 Scott Gibson (Southerness) 40-38 (jt 73rd).
80 R Clarke (Moray) 41-39 (jt 95th).
83 C O'Neil (Pollok) 41-42 (jt 118th).
87 Jordyn Rhind (Uphall) 42-45 (jt 128th).