PGA EUROPRO TOUR REPORT, SCORES

Kevin McAlpine trips up at last when about to share lead

Alyth's Kevin McAlpine was set to share the tournament lead as a professional for the first time ... before he boged the last hole in this week’s PGA EuroPro Tour event at Castle Dargan Golf Club on the Northwest Sligo coast of Ireland today.
The former Scottish amateur match-play and stroke-play champion had wiped out a bogey at the second with a great run of sub-par golf. He birdied the fourth, had an eagle 3 at the sixth and then birdied the long ninth and 10th, the short 13th and the 15th.LEADING FIRST ROUND TOTALS
Par 71
65 Ian Keenan (Eng).
66 Kevin McAlpine (Sco), James Freeman (Eng).
67 Robert Hearty (Eng), Brendan McCarroll (Ire), Joe Carlisle (Eng), Tim Rice (Ire), Brian McElhinney (Ire),Nicky Harris (Eng), Elliot Saltman (Sco).
68 Steven Dance (Eng) (am), Scott Henry (Sco), Michael Lavelle (Ire), Graeme Clark (Eng).
69 Jason McCreadie (Sco), Dan Thomas (Eng), Jonathan Mallon (Ire), Martin Lawrence (Sco),Kevin Harper (Eng), Jonathan Gidney (Eng), Mark Staunton (Eng), Keir McNicoll (Sco),James Busby (Eng), Justin Evans (Eng), Daniel Belch (Eng), Andrew Thorpe (Eng).
Selected scores;
70 Scott Herald (Sco), Steven Duncan (Sco), Zack Saltman (Sco) (jt 27th).
71 Paul Doherty (Sco) (jt 39th).
72 Ross Cameron (Sco) (jt 52nd).
73 Graham Rankin (Sco) (jt 66th).
74 John Gallagher (Sco) (jt 74th).
77 Graeme Lornie (Sco), Mark Rae (Sco) (jt 96th).
78 Lee Harper (Sco) (jt 100th).
80 John Henry (Sco) (jt 106th).

Needing a par 4 at the last to nestle alongside clubhouse leader Ian Keenan (Royal Liverpool) on six-under-par 65, McAlpine dropped only his second shot of the round to finish on five-under-par 66.
All in all it was a good day for the Scots.

Elliot Saltman (Aegon) is in joint fourth position with a flawless 67, studded with birdies at the long sixth, the long 10th, the short 11th and the short 13th in halves of 35 and 32.
Scott Henry (The Carrick on Loch Lomond) is tied for 11th place with a 68. He came home in 32, highlighting his inward half with an eagle 3 at the 10th.
Tartan Tour pro Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) notched a 69 which included a double bogey 6 at the 18th
Martin Lawrence from Newmachar posted 69 despite running up an 8 at the closing hole after going out in 31 and packing in six birdies between the fourth and the 15th.
Also on 69 is Carnoustie’s Keir McNicoll who started slowly with bogeys at the second and fifth before an eagle 3 at the sixth got him in the mood. That was followed by 2 at the short seventh and birdies at the long 10th and 15th before he dropped a shot at the 17th.
Scott Herald (Mearns Castle Golf), Steven Duncan (Carnoustie) and Zack Saltman (Aegon) are sharing 27th place on 70.
Former Scottish boys’ match-play champion Paul Doherty, based in Wales, had a 71, one ahead of Ellon’s Ross Cameron (Paul Lawrie Foundation).