EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR REPORT

Lloyd Saltman struggles to an

83 in Moroccan Classic

The professional career of one-time ace amateur Lloyd Saltman (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency) continues to stay on the launching pad. In this week's European Challenge Tour event, the Moroccan Classic, the Craigielaw man saddled himself with an opening round of 83 - 11 over par - and has little or no chance of surviving the halfway cut.
He wasn't the only Scot to score up in the 80s. Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) had an 81 and former Scottish amateur champion Graham Gordon from Aberdeen had an 82.
Another past Scottish amateur kingpin, George Murray from Anstruther led the Scots with a two-under-par 70.
Rookie Scott Henry had a 75.
Steve Todd, European Challenge Tour Press Officer, writes:
Switzerland’s Julien Clément has a one-stroke lead in the Moroccan Classic after an eagle on his first hole helped him to an opening round 68.
Clément, playing in the final group of the day, holed his second shot from the bunker on the 10th hole after finding the fairway trap with his drive.
He followed that with a birdie on the 11th after hitting the pin with his approach and then sinking an eight foot putt.
The 27 year old dropped a shot on the 16th but posted birdies on the 18th and fourth holes to move to four under par, a shot clear of a group of six players at Pullman El Jadida Royal Golf and Spa.
“I was a bit lucky with the eagle but it was a great way to start,” he said. “I pulled my drive into the trap and I had an awful lie so I just took my wedge and closed my eyes. The shot went low and was a metre short of the green but then I saw it go in.
“I played really well on the back nine but only made one birdie on the fourth. I had a few chances. It was pretty tough out there because of the wind but it has been the same all day and I think I worked it out.”
Clément missed the cut in the Tusker Kenya Open but feels his game is in good shape after spending the winter in Mauritius and Florida.
“I had a nice vacation in Mauritius and then spent a month practising in Florida,” he said. “I feel I am swinging pretty well and my short game and putting are strong. You just have to be patient on a course like this. It is tough to shoot low. I think level par every day is good on a course like this.
“I finished last year pretty well and I worked hard in the winter – a lot harder than the previous one – so I’m feeling confident.”
France’s Julien Quesne, who has started the 2009 European Challenge Tour season with a sixth place finish in Colombia and tied 15th in Kenya, is among the group a shot behind Clément.
He is joined by the Swedish pair of Johan Sköld and Joel Sjöholm, Wales’ Kyron Sullivan and the English pair of Robert Coles and Jamie Moul.
Former Scottish amateur champion George Murray, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, from Anstruther is the leading Scot on 70.


Coles sank a sentimental 30ft putt on the 16th – the hole where he was disqualified last year – and picked up another shot on the last to join the group at the top of the leader board on three under par.
He said: “I holed some really good putts today including some important ones to save par on the front nine. I played a lot better on the back nine and the 30ft putt on the 16th was great. I have a bit of history on that hole after being disqualified there last year so it was nice.”
FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 72

68 J Clément (Sui).
69 R Coles (Eng), J Quesne (Fra), J Moul (Eng), K Sullivan (Wal), J Sköld (Swe), J Sjöholm(Swe).
70 F Calmels (Fra), P Golding (Eng), T Feyrsinger (Aut), A Hansen (Den), D Hewan (RSA), S Jeppesen (Swe), A Bruschi (Ita), G Murray (Sco), T Cruz (Por), G Davies (Eng), A Willey (Eng), T Whitehouse (Eng).
71 L Bond (Wal), B Miarka (Ger) , J Ruth (Eng) , V Riu (Fra) , M Delpodio (Ita) , J Axgren (Swe) , J Wahlqvist (Swe) , G Boyd (Eng) , M Zions (Aus) , L Richard (Bel) , T Schuster (Ger) , B Evans (Eng) ,
72 E Molinari (Ita), M Korhonen (Fin), N Vanhootegem (Bel), M Reale (Ita), A Haindl (RSA), C Gane (Eng), N Joakimides (Fra), D Nouailhac (Fra), O David (Fra).
73 R Diab (Mar), J Grillon (Fra), P Kaensche (Nor), R Kakko (Fin) , R Santos (Por) , A Högberg (Swe), J McLeary (Sco), A McArthur (Sco), A Zanini (Ita), R Harris (Eng) , L Westerberg (Swe) , B Teilleria (Fra), S Saavedra (Arg), A Butterfield (Eng) , R Kilpatrick (Nir) , B Lecuona (Fra) , J Guerrier (Fra), J Burnier (Sui) , S Robinson (Eng).
74 Y Ali (Eng) , N Fox (Irl) , S Reale (Ita) , J Little (Eng), C Russo (Fra), A Gee (Eng), J Billot (Fra) , A Joudar (Mar) , R Steiner (Aut) , A Marshall (Eng), O Floren (Swe), S Delagrange (Fra) , Y El Hassani (Mar) , R Steele (Eng) , M Mills (Eng) ,
75 S Henry (Sco) , A Grenier (Fra) , D Marmion (Eng) , M Mauret (Fra) , B Pettersson (Swe) , R Gonzalez (Arg) , S Juul (Den) , P Bocian (Swe) , J Morrison (Eng) , K Jorgensen (Den) , R McEvoy (Eng) , P Del Grosso (Arg) , N Meitinger (Ger) , P Gustafsson (Swe) , A Mellor (Eng) , G Shaw (Nir) , M McGeady (Irl) , L Brovold (Nor) , A Wagner (Arg) ,
76 J Forestier (Fra) , N Makroune (Mar) , J Heath (Eng) , F Schoettel (Fra) , R Karlberg (Swe) , Y Benchetrit (Fra) , L Kennedy (Eng) , M Haastrup (Den) , C Monasterio (Arg) , N Maestroni (Ita) ,
77 G Molteni (Ita) , C Menut (Fra) , R De Sousa (Sui) , R Russell (Sco) , R Treis (Ger) , N Smith (USA) , M Kramer (Ger) , D Griffiths (Eng) , A Mörk (Fra) , C Carranza (Arg) ,
78 S Piaget (Mon) , P Terreni (Ita) , C Brazillier (Fra) , D Froreich (Ger) , O Suhr (Den) , I Giner (Esp) , G Gresse (Bel) , C Moriarty (Irl) , B Mason (Eng) , D Küpper (Ger) , J Parry (Eng) ,
79 L James (Eng) , M Rominger (Sui) , B Parker (Eng) , F Praegant (Aut) , A El Hali (Mar) ,
80 M El Kherraz (Mar) , B Taylor (Eng) , D Ulrich (Sui) , N Harris (Eng) , T Ferreira (RSA) , A Bernadet (Fra) , N Colsaerts (Bel) ,
81 R El Kherraz (Mar) , A Amalou (Mar) , A Karroum (Mar) , E Chaudouet (Fra) , A Sabi (Mar) , E Ramsay (Sco).
82 G Gordon (Sco) , A Louhi (Mar).
83 T Benslimane (Mar) , L Saltman (Sco).
84 J Zaroili (am) (Mar) , A Soussi (am) (Mar) , I El Glaoui (am) (Mar) ,
85 F Serghini (Mar) , M Pilkington (Wal).
87 H El Mansouri (am) (Mar) , M Pinta (am) (Mar) ,
88 O Serghini (Mar) ,
DISQ R Bechu (Fra) , S Barhoumi (am) (Tun) ,