DAVID LAW LEADS WITH A 64 IN SOUTH AFRICAN STROKE-PLAY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

David Law has made a sensational start to the South African international men's amateur championship at Mount Edgecombe.

The 19-year-old Hazlehead player leads the field of 144 with an eight-under-par round of 64 which included a hole in one at the short third hole, another eagle at the long 14th and birdies at the fourth, long eighth, long 12th, 16th and 17th in halves of 33 (three under par) and 31 (five under).

Amazingly in such a low round, he was one over par before he had his hole in one, having bogeyed the second which turned out to be his only slip of arguably his finest round since he won both the Scottish boys' match-play title and the Scottish men's match-play championship in the same season, 2009.

A knuckle injury on his right hand late in 2009, when he was the victim of an unprovoked late-night assault in an Aberdeen city centre street,  put him out of the game for more than three months and cast a shadow over his form in 2010 but he could be back at his best now - and ready to make a run at gaining selection for the Walker Cup match in his home town, Aberdeen, in September.
"It was a real stop-start season for me last year so it’s great to be playing like this again," said David who holed his tee shot with a seven-iron at the third hole (160 yds).
“It was brilliant,” Law enthused. “I hit a seven-iron perfectly. What a thrill! I haven’t had a hole-in-one since I was 12.”

French international Alexandre Levy is Law's closest rival at the end of the first day of the 72-hole event. He had a 65.

All in all, it was a good day for the touring Scots who are in South Africa for an eight-week stay.
Youngster Scott Gibson had a 69 and four players - national champion Michael Stewart, Kris Nicol, Greg Paterson and Philip McLean - all returned one-under--par 71s.
James White had a 72, Ross Kellett a 73, Paul Shields a 74 and Scottish Alliance champion Jordan Findlay a 75, in which he had two late double-bogey 6s.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
64 David Law (Scotland) 33-31.
65 Alexandre Levy (France) 33-32.
67 Ruan de Smith (S Africa) 32-35, Danie Van Tonder (S Africa) 31-36.
Other Scots' scores:
69 Scott Gibson 33-36.
71 Kris Nicol 34-37, Greg Pate4rson 35-36, Philip McLean 36-35, Michael Stewart 35-36.
72 James White 38-34.
73 Ross Kellett 37-37.
74 Paul Shields 37-37.
75 Jordan Findlay 35-40.

TO READ ALL THE SCORES ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE

CLICK HERE