SCOTS' MIXED FORTUNES AT ALPS TOUR Q SCHOOL STAGE ONE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com The fortunes of the five Scots involved in the First Stage of the Alps Tour Qualifying School at Toscana Golf Club, Italy today ranged from the (almost) sublime two-under-par 69 by Zack Saltman (Archerfield Links), which placed him in second place at the halfway stage, to the ridiculous 12 run up by John Henry (Clydebank) at the par-5 18th in a round of 10-over- 81, leaving him in joint 53rd place on a field of 64 at this venue. Saltman, pictured, birdied the short eighth, the 12th and long 18th - John Henry's disaster hole - and dropped only one shot, at the par-3 11th. Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay is sharing 11th place after a 72 which included a double bogey 6 at the 17th. He had earlier dropped a shot at the fifth but birdied the long ninth. Findlay did not let his head go down after the 17th - he bounced back with a finishing birdie 4 at the long last hole. Another Buchan player, Peterhead's Philip McLean, is in joint 15th place aftrer a 73 which included only one birdie, at the short eighth, a bogey at the fourth and a triple bogey 7 at the long 18th. Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll is still searching for the form that once made him a +5 handicap amateur but has deserted him in the pro ranks. He had a 78 for a share of 45th place. The outward half cost him 42 blows with double bogeys at the short eighth and long ninth, having already bogeyed the first and short third. A birdie 2 at the short 13th  was the only bright spot on Keir's card and his hopes nosedived again with bogeys at the short 16th and long 18th. John Henry's brother Scott has done well on the Alps Tour but the Clydebank sibling doesn't look as if he is going to survive even the first stage of the Q School. Apart from his 12 at the 18th, John's 81 included double bogey 6s at  the fourth and 14th and a bogey 4 at the short 13th. He did have two birdies, at the short third and long 15th, but he will need a lot more birdies in the second and final round if he is to qualify for next week's Alps Tour Final Qualifying School when fellow Scots Ross Kellett (Colville Park), David Law (Hazlehead), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) will enter the fray. The number of qualifiers after 36 holes from the Toscana course will be 48 and from Punta Ala 45 to the Final Qualifying School over 54 holes from Monday to Wednesday next week at the end of which the top 35 will gain playing rights on the 2012 Alps Tour. SCOREBOARD  Stage 1 (36 holes)  - Italy. TOSCANA GC First round Par 71 67 Dominigue Nouailhac (Fra). 69 Zack Saltman (Sco). 70 Jose Maria Garcia Chacon (Spa), Adrien Peres (Fra). Other Scots' scores: 72 Jordan Findlay (T11). 73 Philip McLean (T15). 78 Keir McNicoll (T45) 81 John Henry (T53) +Leading 48 to qualify after second round. PUNTA ALA First round leaders Par 72 70 Anthony Pailler (Fra). 71 Romain Zwahlein (Fra), Jack Clarke (Eng), Jose Alejandro Quiros (Spa). 72 Matthew Criess (Aut), Adam Gray (Eng)

+Leading 45 to qualify after second round.

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