North-east District Open

STEVENSON SETS PACE AT CRUDEN BAY

Whitecraigs’ Gordon Stevenson led the field with a three-under-par round of 70 in the North-east District Open golf championship at sunny Cruden Bay today .
St Andrews University student Stevenson had three North-east players on his tail going into the second of the four rounds that make this an SGU Order of Merit event.
Former Scotland cap Bryan Innes (Murcar Links), a semi-finalist in last year’s Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon was lying second with a 68, one shot ahead of a pair of McDonald Ellon players, Chris Gilbert and Adam Dunton.
Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), winner of last weekend's 72-hole event, had his first ever hole in one on Friday in a practice round with his father John at Cruden Bay. Larkin aced the 183yd 16th with a four-iron.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 70
67 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs).
68 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links).
69 Chris Gilbert (McDonald Ellon), Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon).
70 Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire), Michael Buchan (CrudenBay).
71 Anthony Bews (Murcar Links), Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn).
72 Daniel Kay (Dunbar), Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall), Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie), Grant Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan), Stephen Neilson (Dunbar), Neil Henderson (The Glen)/
73 Michael Daily (Erskine), Steven Smith (Dalmahoy), James Ross (Royal Burgess), George Findlay (Ballumbie Castle), Ed Wood (Crow Wood), Malcolm Campbell (Swanston New), Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth).