McARTHUR COMES OUT OF THE GLOAMING TO SHARE LEAD WITH CHRIS DOAK AT SPEY VALLEY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com   Just when it looked as if  Chris Doak, the Northern Open champion of 2008 over the Aviemore course, was going to have the overnight lead all to himself, late starter - fog delayed everyone's tee time by 90min - Andrew McArthur, a from Windyhill, Glasgow, came out of the gloaming with a six-under-par 66. That gave the former Scottish amateur champion - one of three in the field - a share of the No 1 spot in the popular PGA Optical Express Tour second event over Dave Thomas's great design through the heather and pines in the Cairngorm foothills at Aviemore and on the bank of the fast-flowing River Spey. It was a long, long day after the hour and a half's delay - play did not start until 9.30am - on the opening day of what is a 36-hole Order of Merit, compared with the three-rounder first event at Dundonald Links. Doak, pictured above, a Greenock man, had seven evenly spaced out birdies - at the first, long third, long fifth, seventh, short 10th, long 13th and long 17th. To score at Spey Valley you have to keep your ball out of the heather and Doak did just that. His only bogey in halves of 33 came at the eighth. McArthur, pictured below, a good player who became an even better one after four years on the US college circuit and came back to win the Scottish amateur title, had a birdie at the second and an eagle 3 at the third before he bogeyed the short fourth. So that was the roller-coaster start out of the way and McArthur settled down after that to cover the last 11 holes in five under-par with halves of 32 (four under) and 34 (two under). He birdied the seventh, ninth, long 13th, 14th and 17th with a late bogey slip at the short 16th costing him the overnight bragging rights. Scott Henry, Scottish boys match-play champion in 2004 and 2005, then Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play title-winner in 2006, has not quite lived up to that promise as a pro but there's time yet. His round of five-under-par 67 contained two eagle 3s - at the third and 17th, five birdies (first, second, eighth, short 10th and 18th), one bogey (at the 11th) and a potentially calamitous triple bogey 8 at the long fifth. Henry unbelievably got it out in two-under-par 34 despite that 8! Craig Mathieson had the lowest outward half of the day - four-under 32 - thanks to birdies at the first, long third, short fourth, fifth, short sixth and ninth. If the Falkirk man had not bogeyed the second and eighth he could have been out in practically nothing! After the turn Mathieson could manage only two more birdies, at the fifth and long 17th after he had bogeyed the 11th. Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), like Doak a past winner of the Northern Open title, is in fifth place with  a 68 which had only one bogey but he did not plunder as many birdies as the men above him.

MOST OF THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 72

66 Chris Doak (unatt), Andrew McArthur (Windyhlll).

67 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Scott Henry (The Carrick on Loch Lomond).

68 Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle).

69 Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan).

70 Lloyd Saltman (Archerfield Links), Ross Kellett (unatt), Alastair Forsyth (Mearns Castle), Paul Wardell (Whitekirk), Jonathan Lomas (unatt).

71 Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), David Patrick (Elie SC), Jack Doherty (North Gailes), Greig Hutcheon (Banchory), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), David Law (Hazlehead, Conor O'Neil (Pollok (am), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Mark King (Kingsfield).

72 Ross Harrower (Boat of Garten), Stephen Lamb (Cardrona), Alistair Brown (Whitecraigs), Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs).

73 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links), Andrew Crerar (Panmure), Jamie McLeary (Marriott Dalmahoy), Gareth Wright (West Linton), Lorne Kelly (Prodream USA).

74 Stephen McAllister (Renaissance), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle), Stewart Savage (Dalmuir).

75 Norman Huguet (Musselburgh), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), Eric Walker (Burntisland), Stephen Gray (Hayston), James Byrne (Banchory), Greg McBain (Gamola Golf), James McKinnon (Irvine), James McGhee (Duddingston), Ian Graham (Crow Wood).

76 Andrew Rollo (Moray), Stuart Morrison (Tain), Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle), Alan Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy), Kenny Hutton (Downfield), Ian Taylor (Drumpellier), Ian P Redford senior (St Andrews New), Stuart Pardoe (Stuart Pardoe Golf).

77 Jonathan Cliff (Murrayfield), Ross Dixon (Renaissance), Iain Hanna (Strathclyde Park), Christopher Russell (Dunbar), Riccardo Scarafile (Eastwood), Craig Ronald (Carluke), David Roger (Windyhill), Craig Hugh (Linlithgow).

78 Scott Herald (Means Castle), Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links), Ian Brown (Newent).

79 Murray Urquhart (Spey Valley), Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar), Stuart Reekie (Blairgowrie), Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Graham Forbes (unatt), Nigel Scott-Smith (Palacerigg).

80 Martin Lawrence (Newmachar), Paul Robinson (Largs), Matthew Laughtland (Bishopbriggs).

82 Ryan O'Flaherty (unatt), Peter McLachlan (Cathcart Castle), James Dick (Duddingston).

83 Paul Brookes (Pitreavie),

84 Joel Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), Adam McCabe (Gordon Sherry Golf), Ian M Redford (St Andrews New).

85 David Laing (Craigielaw).

87 Richard Holt (Balbirnie Park), Tom Carroll (unatt)

89 Paul Gallacher (Dalmuir).

WEDNESDAY TEE TIMES FOR FINAL ROUND

All from First Tee

8.00am Paul Gallacher, Clare-Marie Macaulay, Tom Carroll
8:10     Richard Holt, David Laing. Ian M Redford
8.20     Adam McCabe, Joel Hopwood, Paul Brookes
8.30     James Dick, Peter McLachlan, Ryan O'Flaherty
8.40     Matthew Laughtland, Paul Robinson, Martin Lawrence
8.50     Nigel Scott-Smith, Graham Forbes, Christopher Currie

9.00     Stuart Reekie, Malcolm Isaacs, Murray Urquhart.
9.10     Ian Brown, Terry Mathieson, Scott Herald.
9.20     David Roger, Craig Haugh, Craig Ronald.
9.30     Riccardo Scarafile, Christoher Russell, Iain Hanna.
9.40     Ross Dixon, Jonathan Cliff, Stuart Pardoe.
9.50     Ian P Redford senior, Ian Taylor, Kenny Hutton.

10.00   Alan Tait, Campbell Elliott, Stuart Morrison
10.10   Andrew Rollo, Ian Graham, James McGhee
10.20   James McKinnon, Greg McBain, James Byrne.
10.30   Stephen Gray, Eric Walker, Neil Fenwick.
10.40   Norman Huguet, Stewart Savage, Andrew McIntyre

10.50   Jordan Findlay, Stephen McAllister, Lorne Kelly.

11.00   Gareth Wright, Jamie McLeary, Graeme Brown.

11.10   Robert Arnott, Mark Kerr, Andrew Crerar.

11.20   Alistair Brown, Stephen Lamb, Ross Harrower

11.30   Mark King, Andrew Oldcorn, Conor O'Neil.

11.40   Scott Henderson, Paul McKechnie, David Law.

11.50   Greig Hutcheon, Jack Doherty, David Patrick

12.00   Gavin Dear, Jonathan Lomas, Ross Kellett.

12.10   Alastair Forsyth, Lloyd Saltman, Paul Wardell.

12.20   Callum Macaulay, Jason McCreadie, Scott Henry.

12.30   Craig Matheson, Andrew McArthur, Chris Doak