Kevin McAlpine leads Sutherland Chalice

field by two at Dumfries & Galloway

Alyth's Kevin McAlpine, a former winner of both the Scottish amateur match-play and stroke-play titles, continues to get fitter and better every week following a cruciate ligament knee operation in February which kept him out of golf until only two or three weeks ago.
In today's first round of the Sutherland Chalice, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club, this weekend's Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit 72-holer, Kevin set the pace with a four-under-par 66 (five under the CSS) which contained only two 4s!
He went two shots clear of Michael Grunwell (Powfoot), Paul Ferrier (Baberton), Mathew Clark (Kilmacolm), Ross Crowe (Westerhope), Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) and James White (Lundin).
Banchory's James Byrne, winner of the Tennant Cup and the East of Scotland Open in successive weeks, had a disastrous start in which he dropped five shots to par over the first two holes. He finished with a two-over-par 72.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 70. CSS 71
66 K McAlpine (Alyth).
68 M Grunwell (Powfoot), P Ferrier (Baberton), M Clark (Kilmacolm), R Crowe (Westerhope), G Campbell (Blairgowrie), J White (Lundin).
69 F Campbell (Clober), M Smyth (Royal Troon), A Dick (Kingsknowe), P O'Hara (Colville Park), S Rennie (Drumpellier), S McEwan (Caprington), C Thomson (East Renfrewshire), G Yates (Hilton Park), M Main (Thornton), P McLean Peterhead), C Watson (East Renfresire).
70 C Hamilton (NZ), D Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie), S Keane (Cathkin Braes), S Binning (Ranfurly Castle), C Riddick (Southerness).
71 M Daily (Erskine), K McClung (Wigtownshire Co), G Robertson (Glenbervie), P Latimer (St Andrews New), S Lockhart (Bathgate), S Maxwell (Windyhill), L Kirton (Newamchar), J Sloan (Doon Valley), A Main (Thornton), I Winstanley (Formby), J Ferrier (Dumfries & Galloway).
72 S Crichton (Abeerdour), R Graham (Hayston), S Pinckney (Arizona State University), J Byrne (Banchroy), S Gibson (Southerness), G Stevenson (Whitecraigs), M McNae (Dumfries & GHalloway), J Ross (Royal Burgess).