In-form Byrne leads by

10 strokes at halfway

stage of East Open

James Byrne’s amazing run of form continued at Lundin Links, Fife today when he forged 10 strokes ahead of the field over the first two rounds of the 72-hole SolarSport East of Scotland open amateur championship, a Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit event.
Since the Banchory boy, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, arrived back in Scotland from the end of his second year at Arizona State University, the 20-year-old Arizona State University student has finished joint fourth in the Scottish open amateur stroke play, made the last 16 of the British amateur championship, won the Tennant Trophy last weekend by seven shots, equalling the Killermont course record twice, made it through to the Open Final Qualifying with the second best score at Musselburgh.
The pity of it all is that Master Byrne is not in the Scotland squad of six for the upcoming European mean’s amateur team championship. The team, based on the R&A World Amateur Rankings, was named during the British amateur championship.
Since then Byrne has surged up the rankings to be the fourth best Scot, a position that will improve even more if and when he wins the East of Scotland Open this weekend.
If James were to continue winning tournament after tournament, we could have the unique situation where he failed to make the Scotland team but is selected for the GB&I Walker Cup line-up. Wouldn't that be something?
Byrne went four shots ahead of the field with a first-round, four-under-par 65 at Lundin Golf Club. Starting with an eagle 2 was an omen for things to come. In the afternoon, he trimmed two shots off his morning effort with an eight-under-par 63 for a 36-hole tally of 14-under-par halfway tally of 128, which is unlikely to have been matched in the history of the tournament.
Former Scottish champion, at both match-play and stroke-play, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) made a praiseworthy first post-operation tournament appearance with scores of 73 and 65 for four-under 138 to be Byrne’s nearest challenger going into Sunday’s final two rounds, albeit with a 10-shot gap between them.
Kevin had that knee cruciate operation that can put any sportsman out for months - even threaten their career - in February and is still coming back to fitness. This is the first time he has played 36 holes in one day since before the op. So another two rounds on Sunday will be a big test, physically, for Master McAlpine. Good luck, Kevin!
A total of 40 players with 36-hole aggregates of 147 or better qualified for Sunday’s final 36 holes.
Among the men who failed to beat the cut was Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) who lost out in a three-way play-off for the title 12 months ago.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
128 James Byrne (Banchory) 65 63.
138 Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 73 65.
140 Bryden Macpherson (Austrealia) 72 68, Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 71 69, James White (Lundin) 71 69, Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 73 67, David Law (Hazlehead) 71 69.
141 Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 76 65, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 72 69, Alex Main (Thornton) 70 71, Mohammed Arie Irawan (Malaysia) 71 70, Daniel Sommerville (St Andrews) 71 70, Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 71 70.
142 Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 72 70, Philip McLean (Peteerhead) 71 71, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 69 73, Brett Drewitt (Australia) 70 72.
143 Grant McNab (Lundin) 73 70, Michael Williams (Australia) 70 73, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 69, Scott Pinckney (Arizona State Univ) 73 70, Henry Smart (Banstead Downs) 73 70.
144 James Hamilton (NZ) 70 74, Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 72 72, Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) 77 67, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 71 73, Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 76 68.
145 Barry McDermott (Leven GS) 73 72, Francisco Pinter Smith (Spain) 76 69, Michael Main (Thornton) 781 74, Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) 74 71, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 74 71, Martin Brown (Monifieth) 76 69, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 76 69, Ross Bell (Downfield) 72 73.
146 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 72 74.
147 Michael Daily (Erskine) 75 72, James Hendrick (Pollok) 75 72, Raphael Becker (Brazil) 73 74, Nick Robson (Meldrum House) 76 71.
MISSED THE CUT
148 David Simpson (Crieff) 76 72, Steven Meiklejohn (Lundin) 74 74, Paul Gault (Kirkhill) 76 72, Robert Carson (Marriott Dalmahoy) 76 72, Liam McGowan (St Andrews New) 75 73, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 77 71, Jonathan Brain (US) 80 68.
149 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 76 73, Scott Stewart-Cation (Ladybank) 76 73, Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) 77 72, Craig Stephen (Meldrum House) 78 71, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 79 70.
150 Sean Riordan (NZ) 76 74, Paul Betty (Hayston) 73 77, Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 74 76, Dave Thomas (Braintree) 77 73.
151 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 74 77, Lincoln Tighe (Australia) 80 71, Ryan Clatworthy (South Africa) 78 73, Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) 80 71.
152 Colin Martin (Balbirnie Park) 78 74.
153 Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 79 74, Gary Tough (Letham Grange) 75 78, Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 78 75, James Mackay (Kilmarnock Barassie) 77 76, Adam Andrews (Ashton in Makerfield) 77 76.
155 Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 76 79.
156 Tom Gambie (Burhill) 78 78, John Duff (Newmachar) 82 74.
157 Derek Paton (Dunnikier Park) 80 77.
158 Craig Hamilton (NZ) 81 77.
Withdrew: Joe Lockie (Tantallon), Jim White (Leven Th), John Miller (Gullane), Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn), Fraser Campbell (Clober), Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh).