EUROPRO TOUR CONTRASTING FORTUNES FOR SCOTS

SALTMANS ARE SINGING McNICOLL’S LAMENT

The Saltman brothers Elliot and Zack were singing off the same hymn sheet on the second day of the PGA EuroPro Tour event at Castle Dargan on the Northwest Sligo coast in Ireland – but for Carnoustie’s Keir McNicoll (pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency) it would have to be a lament.

The Lothians siblings are locked together in a four-way tied for fourth place on six-under-par 136, two shots behind English leader Andrew Thorpe with one round to go in the chase for the £10,000 first prize.

Elliot has scored 67 and 69, Zack, the youngest of the three Lothians brothers, 70 and 66.

Zack was really flying in a golfing sense today (Thursday). He had two eagles, at the long sixth and the long 10th. in halves of 35 and 31.

Elliot also eagled the 10th and was out in 36 and home in 33.

But for rookie pro McNicoll it was a catastrophic day which saw him clump from a first-round 69 to a 79 for

a total of 148 – three shots too many to survive the 36-hole cut.

The Carnoustie man had a nightmare 11 shots at one hole, the 471yd par-4 14th.

He also had a double bogey 6 at the 17th in what must be one of his worst inward halves – 44 – since he became an international-class golfer.

Backing up the Saltmans in the third round are Scott Henry (The Carrick on Loch Lomond), joint eighth on 137 with scores of 68 and 69, Alyth’s Kevin McAlpine, sharing 15th place on 139 with a 66 and a 73, South Wales-based Paul Doherty, joint 21st on 140 (71-69), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) (69-74) and Scott Herald (Mearns Caslte) (70-73), both on the 143 mark, Carnoustie’s Steven Duncan (70-74) on 144 and Ross Cameron (Paul Lawrie Foundation) who made it right on the limit mark of 145 with scores of 72 and 73.

Joining Keir McNicoll on the early drive to the ferry back to Scotland were Drumpellier’s Graham Rankin (73-73) on 146, Martin Lawrence (Newmachar) (69-79) on 148, John Gallacher (Swanston) (74-75) on 149, Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) (77-74) on 151, and John Henry (80-75) and Mark Rae (77-78), both on 155.

SECOND ROUND LEADERS
Par 142 (2x72).
134 Andrew Thorpe (Eng) 69 65.
135 Ian Keenan (Eng) 65 70, Justin Evans (Eng) 69 66.
136 Zack Saltman (Sco) 70 66, Elliot Saltman (Sco) 67 69, James Freeman (Eng) 66 70, Graeme Clark (Eng) 68 68.
137 Brian McElhinney (Ire) 67 70, Paul O’Hanlon (Ire) 70 67, James Bushby (Eng) 69 68, Nicky Harris (Eng) 67 70, Scott Henry (Sco) 68 68.
138 Daniel Belch (Eng) 69 69, Paul Maddy (Eng) 74 64.
139 Tim Rice (Ire) 67 72, Steven Dance (Eng) (am) 68 71, Michael Lavelle (Ire) 68 71, Robert Hearty (Eng) 67 72, Jonathan Mallon (Ire) 69 70, Kevin McAlpine (Sco) 66 73.
Other Scots scores:
140 Paul Doherty 71 69 (jt 21st).
143 Jason McCreadie 69 74, Scott Herald 70 73 (jt 35th).
144 Steven Duncan 70 74 (jt 41st).
145 Ross Cameron 72 73 (jt 48th).
MISSED THE CUT
146 Graham Rankin 73 73.
148 Martin Lawrence 69 79, Keir McNicoll 69 79.
149 John Gallagher 74 75.
151 Graeme Lornie 77 74.
155 John Henry 80 75, Mark Rae 77 78.