STEPHEN SIMANTS IS LOTHIANS CHAMPIONSHIP LEADING QUALIFIER

FROM THE LOTHIANS GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE 
Stephen Simants, a semi-finalist at Craigielaw two years ago, led the qualifiers for this year's Lothians Championship at Broomieknowe.
The 25-year-old claimed the Stuart Cup as he finished two shots clear of the field after rounds of 68 and 70 at Craigmillar Park and Lothianburn respectively.
It was a sweet success for Simants, who was pipped for the same prize on a countback by Silverknowes star Graham Robertson at Castle Park and Royal Musselburgh 12 months ago.
Simants, who lost to eventual winner Keith Nicholson in the last four in 2009, was delighted to finish top of the pile on a testing day at both courses for the qualifying.
"I was solid rather than spectacular but managed to holes a few putts in both rounds," he said of a two-shot triumph over Craigielaw's Ross Noon.
"To be honest, I hadn't made a great start to the season and was struggling with my putter in particular.
"But I've been working hard on my game over the past few weeks and, thankfully, it has come to fruition.
"It is nice to have won the Stuart Cup after being pipped for that last year and my confidence is certainly high for my bid to do the double in the match-play phase."
Noon, the son of former pro Jim, who now caddies for Sam Torrance, shot rounds of 69 and 71 - the better of the two coming at Lothianburn - as he finished a shot ahead of third-placed Stephen Smith (Dalmahoy).
Three players tied for fourth on 144, including four-time champion Nicholson, whose afternoon 69 at Lothianburn included a triple-bogey 7 at the last, and the aforementioned Robertson, last year's Lothians Order of Merit winner.
Craigmillar Park's Richard Gill, the other player on 144, was unavailable for the match-play phase along with Alan Crawford of Deer Park.
Alongside Carrickvale's Simon Hermiston on 145 were Craig Galloway (Harburn), Jamie McIntosh (Broomieknowe), Willem Kerr (Craigielaw), Alan Anderson (Bruntsfield Links) and Malcolm Campbell (Swanston New).
Galloway's morning 67 at Craigmillar Park was the best effort at either course and contained six birdies and a back nine of 30.
McIntosh, who had earlier missed a "tiddler" at the last in his 68 on the same course, admitted the chance of a tilt at the title this week on home soil had "definitely given me an extra incentive to qualify".
Duddingston's four-time winner Stuart Smith, who eagled the 14th at Craigmillar Park, qualified comfortably on 146, as did 2000 champion and current Lothians captain Mark Timmins.
Alongside the Pumpherston player on 147 was West Linton's Scott Walker, who lost to Smith in the final in 1995 - the last time Broomieknowe stayed the match-play stage.
Other qualifiers included former Lothians Champion of Champions winners Brian Erskine (Merchants) and Graham Davidson (Winterfield) as well as rising Royal Burgess star Varun Varadharajan.
Playing in the event for the first time, the 19-year-old Heriot Watt student sealed his spot with two 74s, finishing at Lothianburn with three birdies in the last four holes.
"The success enjoyed by the Royal Burgess team over the last few years has been a real inspiration to me and it's great that I am now starting to creep into that side," said the four-handicapper.
Dunbar's Stephen Neilson, a Scottish Amateur semi-finalist last summer, headed a long list of surprising non-qualifiers.
They also included Gary Corrigan and Keith Reilly, the latter not being able to recover from the 11 he ran up at his first hole of the day at Lothianburn.
Former winners Kevin Hastings, David Warner and Steven Armstrong missed out as well after second-round NRs, as did 2009 runner-up Kevin Messer.
Martin Dempster

TONIGHT'S FIRST-ROUND TIES
4.45pm
M Wilson (West Lothian) v S Smith (Duddingston)
4.52pm
B Watson (Greenburn) v A Anderson (Bruntsfield Links)
5.00pm
C Galloway (Harburn) v T Caldwell (Silverknowes)
5.07pm
S Simants (Dunbar) v M Cunningham (Craigielaw)
5.15pm
G W Fraser (Kingsknowe) v J McIntosh (Broomieknowe)
5.22pm
G Millar (Swanston New) v B Erskine (Merchants)
5.30pm
K A Nicholson (Haddington) v G A Robertson (Silverknowes)
5.37pm
S McMehen (Linlithgow) v S Walker (West Linton)

TUESDAY'S FIRST-ROUND TIES
4.45pm
M Timmins (Pumpherston) v W T Kerr (Craigielaw)
4.52pm
J Renwick (Uphall) v M Campbell (Swanston New)
5.00pm
G Davidson (Winterfield) v V Varadharajan (Royal Burgess)
5.07pm
S McGarvey (Glencorse) v S B Blair (Royal Musselburgh)
5.15pm
S Hermiston (Carrickvale) v R M Noon (Craigielaw)
5.22pm
S R Smith (Marriott Dalmahoy) v M Stein (Craigielaw)
5.30pm
D J Martin (Longniddry) v R Munro (Liberton)
5.37pm
N Aiken (Longniddry) v C Marr (Musselburgh)