Scottish golf in rude health: Steven
O'Hara defends SGU coaching

By PAUL SYMES
An exciting weekend is in store for Scottish golf after three of the country’s young players moved firmly into contention at Challenge Tour events in Switzerland and Germany.
At the Trophée du Golf Club de Genève, Steven O’Hara’s round of 66 in testing conditions moved him to ten under par, two shots behind clubhouse leader Wil Besseling of the Netherlands.
Meanwhile at the Vodafone Challenge in Dusseldorf, Richie Ramsay and George Murray were respectively one and two shots behind home favourite Stephan Gross Jr, who finished day two on ten under par.
O’Hara felt the strength of the Scots’ challenge was conclusive proof that the nation’s golf is in rude health.
He said: “We’re all coached by the Scottish Golf Union, whose methods have been criticised by some people recently. But I’m more than happy with the coaching I’ve received, and I’m sure all the other boys feel the same way. They must be doing something right if we’re all up there challenging.”
O’Hara’s compatriots Greg Hutcheon and Andrew McArthur are also within striking distance in Geneva, Hutcheon’s round of 67 moving him to five under par. McArthur made steady progress, adding a 70 to his opening round of 68 to take a share of seventh place on six under par.

Leading scores from the Trophée du Golf Club de Genève:
132 W Besseling (Ned) 68 64.
134 S O’Hara (Sco) 68 66.
135 A Tampion (Aus) 66 69; R Bland (Eng) 65 70.
136 R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 66 70137 M Ruiz (Par) 70 67

Leading scores from the Vodafone Challenge:
134 S Gross Jr (Ger) 68 66.
135 R Ramsay (Sco) 65 70.
136 G Murray (Sco) 67 69; K Baraka (Ger) 70 67; S Juul (Ned) 68 68.
137 C Gane (Eng) 68 69; A Snobeck (Fra) 69 68