SCOTS LICKING THEIR WOUNDS AFTER BEAR COURSE BITES THEM

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Jack Nicklaus-designed courses are never easy, wherever they are around the world. The Samanah course, laid out by the Golden Bear at Marrakesh, Morocco, follows the pattern of being long (7,327yd) and difficult unless you keep your wits about you. Several Scots were licking their wounds from this encounter with the Bear in the first round of this week's Alps Tour event over 54 holes, the Samanah Open. For example, Ross Kellett, out in one-under-par 35, was heading for a sub-70 score over a long (7,327yd) and testing couse until he bogeyed the 14th and then ran up a triple bogey 7 at the 15th. Birdies at the long 16th and short 17th repaired some of the damage for the Motherwell man before he dropped another shot at the last for a 74 which left him in joint 33rd  in a field of 93. Fraserburgh rookie Kris Nicol had only one birdie, at the long 16th, in compiling a 76 for a share of 57th place. Like Kellett, Murrayshall's Gavin Dear was out in one-under-par 35 and up among the leaders. Nine holes later - which cost him a horrendous 43 shots, Dear is signing for a six-over 78.  He did not have a single par in a tortuous inward half which saw him finishs double bogey-bogey-double bogey. Also on the 78 mark is Peterhead rookie Philip McLean who was out in a respectable 37 but then took 41 shots to get back to the clubhose. He ran up a triple bogey 7 at the 18th. One player, Englishman Matthew Cryer, worked out the Nicklaus puzzle better than most. One of the last men off the course in fading list, Cryer took the lead with a four-under-par 68 ... and even he bogeyed the 18th. All in all a day that Nicklaus, pictured above, had he been present, would have felt pleased that his course beat most of the competitors. LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES Par 72 68 Matthew Cryer (England). 69 Steven Brown (England), Brendan McCarroll (Ireland), Tommy Schaff (US). 70 Jesus Legarrea (Spain), Andrea Rota (Italy). SELECTED SCORES 71 Jack Senior (England) (T8) 72 Gareth Shaw (Ireland) (T16) 73 Andrew Cooley (England), Dara Lernihan (Ireland) (T20). 74 Ross Kellett (Scotland), Richard Kilpatrick (N Ireland) (T33). 75 Stiggy Hodgson (England) (T42) 76 Kris Nicol (Scotland), Jack Clarke (England) (T57). 78 Gavin Dear (Scotland), Philip McLean (Scotland) (T70). 79 Warren Harmston (Eng) (T81).

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