SCOTTISH WATERAID 36-HOLE PRO-AM

Rain helps preserve Hamish

Kemp as leader with a 71

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Rain, rain – and even more rain. Rather appropriate for the first round of the Scottish WATERAID 36-hole Order of Merit pro-am at Kilmarnock Barassie today.
The early starters had by far the best of the conditions with Hamish Kemp (Bishopbriggs Golf Range), who teed off at 7.30am, posting a clubhouse target of one-under-par 71 which was unequalled at the end of a long day’s play, some 12 hours later.
Kemp’s CV on the Tartan Tour is nothing to write home about – but he is halfway there towards a memorable first victory.
He had birdies at the first, fifth, sixth, 13th and 14th, dropping shots at the second, ninth, 10th and 12th in halves of 35 (one under par) and 36 (level).
Hamish leads by three from Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) 34-38, Mark Loftus (Cowglen) 34-38, James McKinnon(Irvine) 37-35, Gareth Wright (West Linton) 36-36 and Ken Campbell (Machrihanish) 35-37.
Savage had birdies at the second, seventh, ninth and 10th but dropped a shot at the third and also bgeyed three of the closing eight holes ifor his 72.
Former Scottish PGA champion Mark Loftus marred his card with a double bogey 6 at the 12th. In fact, Mark dropped four shots to par between the 10th and 13th. He did birdie the second, fifth, 15th and 16th.
James McKinnon had birdies at the first, 15th and 16th but bogeyed the fourth, eighth and 17th.
Welshman Gareth Wright came to the last, needing a birdie to take the lead on 70, or a par to share it with Hamish Kemp. Instead the West Linton man bogeyed the 18th for a 72. He did birdie the first, 10th and 16th but bogeyed the fourth and short 14th apart from his 18th-hole slip.
Ken Campbell deviated from par only four times on his scorecard of 72 - birdies at the first and 15th, bogeys at the 12th and 18th.
Former Walker Cup player David Patrick (Elie) was going as well as anyone when he turned in two-under-par 34 but the inward half cost him 41 shots (five over par). David bogeyed the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 18th.
Scottish PGA champion Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), runner-up to Chris Doak in this event last year, had double bogey 6s at the 13th and 15th in his 76 (36-40), one shot better than Gordon Sherry, playing over his home course.
Sherry was six over par when he had his first birdie at the 13th, promptly gave the shot back at the 14th but then birdied the 16th.
Also on 77 is former Northern Open champion Murray Urquhart who is now based at the Spey Valley course in Aviemore. Urquhart had a triple bogey 7 at the 12th in an inward 40.
Another past Northern Open kingpin, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) had double bogeys at the seventh and 17th in halves of 37 and 41 for a 78.
The first-day pro-am was won by the Biwater Treatment 1 team of Iain Ross (handicap 6), Alex Spiers (11) and Jim Anderson (18), led by pro Andy Oldcorn, with a net score of eight-under-par 64. They won with a better back nine than Biwater Treatment 2’s line-up of Kevin O’Reilly (15), David Hillary (10) and Alastair Bateman (12), led by Colin Gillies, who also had a net 64.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
71 Hamish Kemp (Bishopbriggs GR).
72 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Mark Loftus (Cowglen), James McKinnon (Irvine), Gareth Wright (West Linton), Ken Campbell (Machrihanish).
73 Ian Taylor (Drumpellier), David Orr (East Renfrewshire), Mark King (Kingsfield).
74 Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle).
75 Alan E Reid (West Lothian), Scott Herald (Mearns Castle), Anthony Mackrell (East Kilbride), David Patrick (Elie), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie), Steven Duncan (Balbirnie Park), Jonathan Lomas (unatt), Callum Nicoll (Prestwick), Fraser Mann (Musselburgh).
76 Mark Barnard (Inchmarlo), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle).
77 Gordon Sherry (Kilmarnock Barassie), Murray Urquhart (Spey Valley), Greig McSporran (Kinross), Scott Catlin (Greenburn), Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon), Stephen Gray (Hayston), Colin Gillies (Perry Golf).
78 Graham Fox (East Kilbride), Stuart Morrison (Tain), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills).
79 Jamie Stevenson (Braehead), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Kenneth Monaghan (Bothwell Castle).
80 Lee Vannet (Carnoustie GL), Gavin Cook (Prestonfield), Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Gordon Law (Uphall).
81 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), Garry Forrester (St Andrews Golf School), Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch), Craig Ronald (Carluke), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs GR).
82 Samuel Cairns (Colville Park).
84 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst).
85 Greg Paxton (Ralston), Christopher Russell (RAW Golf Course Design).
86 Edward Thomson (Senit Associates).
PRO-AM WINNERS
64 (-8) Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) & Biwater Treatment Team 1: Iain H Ross (6), Alex Spiers (11), Jim Anderson (18), who had a better inward half than
64 (-8) Colin Gillies (Perry Golf) & Biwater Treatment Team 2: KevinO'Reilly (15), David Hillary (10), Alastair Bateman (12).