GALLAGHER, HENRY JOINT BEST SCOTS ON DAY 1 OF Q SCHOOL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Former Scottish amateur champion John Gallagher (Swanston) and John Henry (Clydebank) were the joint best Scots at the end of the first day of the PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School over 54 holes at Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire.
In a huge field of 240, Gallagher and John, brother of the more successful Scott Henry, were a creditable joint 17th.
Both shot two-under-par 70s with Gallagher getting birdies at the long
fourth, fifth, long eighth, ninth and long 15th - but also three bogeys, at the short sixth, short 16th and 18th.
Henry bogeyed the first and second but covered the next 12 holes in five under par with biredis at the third, sixth, eigth, 12th and 14th before he bogeyed the 16th.
They are six shots behind  leader Tommy King who had a bogey-free round of eight birdies for a 64.
Walker Cup hero at Royal Aberdeen last September, rookie pro Jack Senior from Heysham was lying third with a 66 which included and eagle and six birdies.
GB and I team-mate Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) had a par-matching 72, despite a shaky run early on in his round. He birdied the second but then ran up a double bogey 5 at the short third followed by a bogey 4 at the next short hole, the sixth.
Stewart, who has failed to gain playing rights on any of the recognised circuits, did finish well with birdies at the long 15th and short 16th followed by solid pars at the last two holes. He is in joint 50th position alongside Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy), Mark Rae (Alyth) and Myles Cunningham (Longside) who turned pro only last week.
Ellon's Ross Cameron had a double bogey at the first and a double bogey at the 18th in a round of three-over 75. Birdies at the fourth, sixth and 15th repaired some of the damage. He is joint 124th.
Late in the day Scott Young (Turnhouse) came in with a 77 to be joint 178th going into the second round.
Rookie pro Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) had a nightmare 81 after taking 42 blows for the first nine. He had double bogeys at the first and short 11th and only one birdie on his card, at the sixth. He is tied for 229th place.
The field of 240 will be cut to 120 after Thursday's second round. The qualifiers will go forward to play the final 18 holes on Friday.

Leading first-round scores
Par 72
64 Tommy King (Eng).
65 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
66 Jack Senior (Eng)
67 Darryn Lloyd (SAf)
68 Nigel Lane (Australia), Gareth Davies (Eng), Nick Pateman (Eng), Mark Hooper (Eng).
69 Eddie Pepperell (Eng), Mark Smith (Eng), Warren Harmston (Eng), Matthew Dearden (Wal), Ben Smith (Eng), Ruaidhri McGee (Ire), Jason Timms (Eng)..

SCOTS' SCORES
70 John Gallagher (Swanston), John Henry (Clydebank and Dist) (T17)
72 Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy), Mark Rae (Alyth), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), Myles Cunningham (Longniddry) (T50).
73 Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar), Gavin Wilson (Ladybank) (am) (T72).
75 Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy), Clarke Lutton (Qatar GC) (T124)
76 James McGhee (Duddingston) (T151)
77 Scott Young (Turnhouse) (T178)
79 Tom Higson (tomhigsongolf.com) (T205)
81 Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) (T229).

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