HUTCHEON PLAYS WELL FOR PAR 72 IN COLD AND WINDY SPAIN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
If the six Scots who entered this week's Hi5 Pro Tour event - the Hacienda del Alamo Open at the Murcia golf resort in southeast Spain - were expecting to be swinging in a warm sun, they were in for a rude awakening today.
A 30mph northwest wind produced a chill factor that reduced the temperature to six or seven degrees Centigrade, marginally warmer than it was in Scotland today.
Banchory's Greig Hutcheon, picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c), a winner on Majorca in his last competitive outing, played well to match the par of 72 in the tough conditions over the long Dave Thomas-designed course.
Hutch birdied the third, long fourth, sixth, long ninth and 11th before he sagged a little down the home straight with bogeys at the short 12th and 17th in halves of 34-38 to be in third place overnight, four shots behind the English pacemaker, James Ruth.
Scott Henderson (38-35) and Scott Henry (36-37) are bracketed on the 73 mark.
Callum Macaulay (37-38) is sharing 19th place on 75 after being level par with eight to play and then bogeying the 11th, 13th and 16th.
Former Rangers and Dundee footballer Ian Redford (36-40) finished the day on 76 after starting with a double bogey 6 then birdieing the long fourth and getting an eagle 2 at the sixth.
Former Northern Open champion David Thomson is tied for 60th place in the cosmopolitan field of 67 players with an 84 which included a triple bogey 8 at the long ninth and double bogeys at the par-4 sixth and par-5 17th.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
Players from England unless stated
68 James Ruth.
71 Julien Clement (Swi)
72 Greig Hutcheon (Sco)
73 Nick McCarthy, Gustav Andersson (Swe), Scott Henderson (Sco), Lee Clarke, Scott Henry (Sco).
Selected scores
74 Jason Barnes, Paul Reed, James Maw, Adam Stott, Shaun Mills (T9).
75 Callum Macaulay (Sco), Jonathan Gidney (T19).
76 Ian Redford senior (Sco), Andy Scrimshaw, William Harrold, Jamie Abbot, Jason Timmis (T23).
77 Carl Siddall, Matt Allen, Matthew Tweddell, Eddie Pepperell, James Housby (T30).
78 Graham Roberts (Eng) (am).
79 Mark Smith, Charlie Lidyard, Will Johnson, Mathew Webb (am).
80 John Green, Liam Connolly (T45)
81 Gary King (T51).
84 David Thomson (Sco) (T60).