LATE-FINISHER LAWRENCE LEADS WITH PAR 70 AT DORNOCH

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Just when it seemed that nobody was going to be able to match the par of 70 over Royal Dornoch's world-ranked links in breezy conditions, late in the day Newmachar's Martin Lawrence did the trick to lead the Sandy Pipey Young Masters field by one stroke at the halfway stage.
Lawrence birdied the short second but a double bogey 5 at the short sixth set him back a bit but he got into his stride again with birdies at the 11th and short 13th.
He dropped one at the 14th but birdied the 17th before a bogey at the last robbed him a two-stroke overnight lead.
In joint second place on 71 are Joel Hopwood (Carnegie Club) from the nearby Skibo Castle, Graham Forbes (Gourock) and Mark Kerr (Murrayfield).
Both Hopwood and Kerr will be rueing double-bogeys, Joel at the 18th and Mark at the 11th.
Hopwood, who in midweek made the long drive to Braemar to win the North-east Alliance competition, had birdies at the first, third, 15th and 17th, Kerr at the long 12th and 15th.
Forbes had only three deviations from par - a birdie at the long 12th ane bogeys at the third and 10th.

FIRST-ROUND LEADING SCORES
Par 70
70 Martin Lawrence (Newmachar).
71 Joel Hopwood (Carnegie Club), Mark Kerr (Murrayfield), Graham Forbes (Gourock).
72 Nikki Christie (Carnoustie).
73 Gordon Hillson (Dunbar), Malcolm Murray (Bearsden).
74 Graeme Brown (Montrose), Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), Ross McConnachie (Peterculter)
75 Scott Herald (Adam Hunter Golf), Nicky Sinclair (Prestwick).
76 Sam McLaren (Crieff), Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links), Stuart Williamson (Nairn Dunbar), Andrew Munro (Musselburgh), Grant Smith (Glneagles), Sven Nielsen (Turnberry), Sean Bissett (Renaissance Club), Christ Brown (Kemnay).
77 Ross Dixon (Renaissance Club), Lewis Burnett (Adam Hunter Golf), Michael Maxwell (Carnoustie), Graeme Nethercott).
78 Martin Shaw (Kilmarnock Barassie), Ross Macleod (Eastwood), Matthew Burt (Helensburgh), Andrew Rollo (Moray), Patrick Walker (St Andrews Links Golf Academy), Graham Mackay (Prestonfield), Fraser Clarke (Newmachar0.