Lewis Kirton leads Sutherland

Chalice field through two rounds

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Glandular fever victim Lewis Kirton from Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire has made all the running through the first two rounds of the Sutherland Chalice, this weekend's SGU 72-hole Order of Merit event at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club.

But does the Scotland youth cap, a student at the University of Kentucky-Tennessee, have the strength to maintain his lead through Sunday's final two rounds?

That's a question to which even Kirton himself does not know the answer.

"I'm getting over the glandular fever which ruined the second half of the American college season for me," said Newmachar Golf Club member Kirton, "But I still get very tired towards the end of a four-round tournament."

He is in the pole position on eight-under-par 132 after impressive rounds of 65 and 67 over the 6,200yd, par-70 course which is made for a battle of the birdies on the last day.

Lewis has had nine birdies and only one bogey over the first 36 holes – at the ninth hole in his second round.

Kirton will do well to well to hold off the anticipated Sunday challenge from the two international-class competitors, Wallace Booth (Comrie) and Scott Henry (Cardross), who are breathing down his neck, a shot behind on 133.

And Steven McEwan (Caprington) is only two strokes off the pace in fourth place after a pair of 67s.

Booth and Henry were playing partners and sparked off each other. They had a combined afternoon haul of 10 birdies at Henry shot a 66 and Booth a 67. But for bogey at the 17^th, his only slip of the round, Scott would have been sharing first place with Kirton.

Henry finished like a train at Haggs Castle last Sunday with a pair of 68s to finish runner-up in the Cameron Corbett Vase to surprise winner Derek Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie).

Addison hadn't originally entered the Dumfries & Galloway event this weekend but his victory at Haggs Castle prompted him to make a late entry in the hope that lightning would strike twice for the former Scottish Under-16 stroke-play champion.

He made it through to the last two rounds with rounds of 68 and 76 but is not going to complete a dandy double.

Scottish champion John Gallagher failed to beat the cut in The Barclays Scottish Open and hot-footed it down to Dumfries where he had not withdrawn his entry following a good first round at Loch Lomond. He is on 141 after rounds of 69 and 72.

Defending champion Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) is on the same mark, also with a 69 and 72.

A total of 45 players with aggregates of 145 or better qualified for Sunday's final two rounds.

HALFWAY SCOREBOARD

Par 140 (2 x 70). CSS 71

132 L Kirton (Newmachar) 65 67.

133 W Booth (Comrie) 66 67, S Henry (Cardross) 67 66.

134 S McEwan (Caprington) 67 67.

137 P Latimer (St Andrews New) 69 68, K Nicol (Frasrburgh) 70 67, C Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 66 71, G Yates (Hilton Park) 69 68.

138 M Lamb (Haddington) 68 70, S Speirs (Australia) 70 68, M Hillson (Craigielaw) 72 66.

139 R Kellett (Colville Park) 72 67, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 70 69.

140 G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 71 69, A Culverwell (Dunbar) 69 71.

141 S Hume (Murrayshall) 72 69, G Paterson (St Andrews New) 69 72, J Gallagher (Swanston New) 69 72, A Wallace (Glenbervie) 72 69.

142 A Main (Thornton) 69 73, P McLean (Peterhead) 69 73, P Ferrier (Baberton) 70 72.

143 J Hendry (Clydebank & Dist) 72 71, P O'Hara (Colville Park) 71 72, S Borrowman (Dollar) 68 75, C Peddie (Hayston) 68 75, S Maxwell (Windyhill) 69 74. M Grunwell (Powfoot) 71 72, S Keane (Cathkin Braes) 72 71.

144 J Mackay (Kilmarnock Barassie) 71 73, K Shanks (US) 71 73, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 70 74, R Graham (Hayston) 76 68, N Hamilton (Dumfries & Galloway) 69 75, R Docherty (Bearsden) 71 73, D Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 68 76, E McLaren (Dumfries & Galloway) 73 71, G Minnes (Hayston) 73 71.

145 I Thomson (Powfoot) 72 73, A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 71 71, C Gray (West Kilbride) 73 72, M McNae (Dumfries & Galloway) 69 76, C Robinson (Wigtown & Bladnoch) 71 74, S Carmichael (Baberton) 71 74, F Moore (Glenbervie) 69 76.

MISSED THE CUT

146 C Wedgeworth (Cowglen) 69 77, R Bell (Downfield) 73 73, S Lockhart (Bathgate) 71 75, B Irving (Dumfries & Co) 73 73.

147 Z Saltman (Craigielaw) 73 74, J Paterson (Hayston) 73 74, E Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) 75 72, S McAllister (Craigielaw) 68 79, J Hendrick (Pollok) 69 78.

148 B Rushford (Grangemouth) 75 73, J Ferrier (Dumfries & Galloway) 77 71, A Cappi (Loretto School) 74 74.

149 J Neilson (Dunbar) 72 77, S Boyle (Harburn) 77 72.

150 D Brodie (Newton Stewart) 73 77, M Dargie (Cawder) 77 73, C Bell (Whitecraigs) 75 75, R Carson (Marriott Dalmahoy) 72 78.

151 K McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 77 74, S Neilson (Dunbar) 83 68.

152 M Whatley (Southerness) 76 76, J Williamson (Dumfries & Galloway) 75 77, R Thornton (US) 77 75, C Corbett (Dumfries & Galloway) 78 74, K Scott (Hayston) 75 77, C Robb (Inchmarlo) 76 76.

155 S Walker (Ratho Park) 76 79, Jonathan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 79 76, M Wilson (Westhill) 81 74.

156 R Jack (Dumfries & Galloway) 77 79, C Durness (Harburn) 78 78.

160 G Wilson (Ladybank) 78 82.

NR M Cunningham (Longniddry) 74 NR.