Ishaq Powers to early lead in
Under-16s championship

By ROSS DUNCAN
Scottish Golf Union
Young Englishman Mikhail Ishaq fired a stunning five under par opening round of 65 to take the early clubhouse lead in the First Point USA Scottish Boys Under-16s stroke-play championship at Glen GC in North Berwick today.
The 16-year-old, from Lee Westwood country in Worksop, fired seven birdies in a breath-taking first round to lead countryman Ben Taylor from Walton Heath by two shots as the opening day neared its conclusion.
In glorious conditions at the superbly-prepared East Lothian course, Ishaq birdied the third and followed that up with consecutive birdies at the 7th, 8th and 9th before dropping a shot at the 9th.
Birdies at the 14th and 15th took the Bondhay youngster to five under par and Ishaq bounced back from a bogey at the 17th to birdie the last for an outstanding 65.
Perthshire’s rising star Paul McPhee, fresh from his fourth place finish at last week’s McGregor Trophy, leads the Scottish challenge on two under, one ahead Falkirk’s Jamie Lynch after his opening 69 which included an eagle 3 at the 15th.
Scotland boys’ player McPhee - he will represent Scotland in next week's R&A Junior Open at Hesketh - was a model of consistency, with four birdies in his two halves of 34, whilst Austria’s Matthias Kauffman heads the continental contingent on one under par.
Local lad Chris Low, who plays at the Tantallon club just along the coast from the host venue, recovered superbly from a quadruple bogey 8 on the 8th hole to record a level par 70. After racing to three under par through four holes, the 15-year old from North Berwick dropped to two-over par at the turn, but came home in 33 to finish level par and in a tie for sixth, alongside Deeside’s Jack Scott, a recent call-up to the European Young Masters team.
Galashiels’ Simon Fairbairn had three birdies in his excellent back nine to finish inside the top ten on day one with a 71, alongside Glasgow’s David Gallagher, Brora’s David Stewart and Bathgate’s Ryan Boyle.
Defending champion Ian Redford teed off in the last group but was finding the going tough on his opening nine. He finished on four-over-par 74.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 70. CSS 70
65 M Ishaq (Bondhay).
67 B Taylor (Walton Heath).
68 P McPhee (King James VI).
69 J Lynch (Falkirk), M Kaufmann (Austria).
70 C Low (Tantallon), J Scott (Deeside), S Gibson (Southerness).
71 S Fairburn (Galashiles), H Casey (Enfield), D Gallagher (Glasgow), C Moore (West Essex), R Boyle (Bathgate), C Stewart (Brora), J Arthur (Milnathort), J Rhind (Uphall).
72 T Rowland (Slaley Hall), R Jack (Dumfries & Galloway), W Chambers (Mid-Herts), W Rennie (Northern), R Clarke (Moray), J Henry (Clydebank & Dist), J Sullivan (Stock Brook), S Connor (Ralston).
73 J Smith (Bowood), L McAlpine (Invergordon), J Fernandes (Enfield), M Smith (Troon Welbeck), G Munsey (Frilford Heath), N Colbeck (Cleckheaton & Dist), S Wightman (Powfoot), C O'Neil (Pollok).
74 D Edwads (Elgin), M Bacigalupo (Longniddry), E Mackay (Torphin Hill), R Gillan (Torrance House), E Wilson (Berwick upon Tweed), I Redford (King James VI).
75 J Wright (Forres), J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), E Bradley (Mount Ellen), A Scrimshaw (Prudhoe), G Forrest (Craigielaw), P Horsting (Royal Cinque Ports), F Thain (West Linton), G Champion (Truro), F Smith (Paisley).
76 A Wiseman (Fraserburgh), R Cardwell (Long Sutton), E Paterson (Bruntsfield Links), P Gordon (Paisley), G Chalmers (Dollar), S Thistleton (Hilton Park), J Burrows (Pitlochry), S MacNeil (Inchmarlo), N Beattie (St Andrews), J McLaughlin (Greenock), N Ward (Redbourn),
R Storrier (Downfield), E Scott (St Andrews), J Thorburn (Forrester Park).
77 R Mitchell (Downfield), C Moore (Falkirk Tryst), I Watson (St Andrews), C Aubrey (Caversham Heath), T Hogarth (Dollar), S Smith (Deeside), P Rutherford (Forest Hill), G Meechan (Dullatur), L Johnson (Pines), C Norman (Dullatur), N Barnes (Deeside), A Tulleth (St Andrews), T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar).
78 G Marchbank (Thornhill), A Cunningham (Ranfurly Castle), T Heggarty (Royal Liverpool), F McNeill (Eastwood), M McLennan (Greenock Whinhill), L Chambers (Cardross), J Spencer (Vale Royal Millennium), P Lemon (Peterhead), R Beattie (Hawick), G Ramsay (Bathgate).
79 J Gallagher (Crow Wood), J Douglas (Lochgelly), J Thomson (Torrance House), S Nicoll (Carnoustie), A Carrell (Peterculter), J Lennon-Joiner (Ellesborough), G Duncan (Shotts), J Alexander (Greenock Whinhill), D Meehan(Rossmore).