THREE SCOTS TRY TO STEM THE TIDE AS OVERSEAS MEN DOMINATE AT BARASSIE

GOLF COPY AND SCORES CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON TEL 01224 869782 THREE SCOTS TRY TO STEM THE FOREIGN TIDE AT BARASSIE Downfield's Ross Bell, Charlie MacNeal (Troon Welbeck) and Greig Marchbank (Dumfries & Co) kept the home fires burning on a brilliantly sunny day dominated by overseas players in the first round of the Carrick Neill Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play championship at Kilmarnock Barassie. They start the second day in joint fifth place after scoring creditable five-under-par 68s. Bell, former winner of the Leven Gold Medal, probably feels he deserves another medal for navigating the toughened up Ayrshire links with a bogey-free 18 holes. He birdied the first, third, eight, 12th and 18th. Two shots clear of the field is the brilliant 17-year-old South African stroke play champion Haydn Porteous with a superb eight-under 65. With no wind to protect the course, Porteous plundered an eagle at the par-5 first and he continued to make hay in the sun, finishing with an eagle and a birdie over his last three holes. "I just need to keep it going now. I came fourth at Auchterarder in the Scottish Under-16s Championship two years ago and I have happy memories of Scotland," said Poretous. "We arrived here four days ago and we have only had one day of rain! To play links golf in good conditions makes it easier." His nearest challengers with 54 holes to go are Australian Brett Drewitt and Frenchmen Clement Berardo and Adrien Monnier on 67. Fraser McKenna (Balmore), a man in tip-top form early in the season, had a disappointing 76, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) a 77 LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES Par 73 65 Haydn Porteous (SAf) 67 Brett Drewitt (Aus), Clement Berardo (Fra), Adrien Monnier (Fra). SCOTS SCORES 68 Ross Bell (Downfield), Charlie MacNeal (Troon Welbeck), Greig Marchbank (Dumfries and Co). 69 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs),  70 Jamie Savage (Cawder), Scott Borrowman (Dollar), Ewan Scott (St Andrews 71 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrnie), Jordan McColl (Scotscraig), Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon), Fraser Moore (Glenbervie), Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 72 Stuart Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas), Scott Gibson (Southerness), Neil Henderson (The Glen), James White (Lundin), Scott Crichton (Aberdour), Craig Howie (Peebles) 73 Graham Gordon (Newmachar), James Whitelaw (Hollandbush), Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), Daniel Young (Craigiehill), Brian Soutar (Leven GS), Jordan Milne (Elgin), Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar), James Bunch (Prestwick), Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 74 James Ross (Royal Burgess), Ross Noon (Craigielaw), John Sloan (Doon Valley), Darren Watson (Petgerhead), James Aitken (Alloa), Scott Mann (Carnoustie), Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle), Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie). 75 Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie). 76 Fraser McKenna (Balmore), Daniel Kay (Dunbar), Lawrence Allan (Alva), John Mathers (Haggs Castle). 77 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle). 78 John Duff (Newmachar), Ben Kingsley (St Andrews) 79 Conor O'Neil (Pollok), Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 80 Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), David Wilson (Troon Welbeck)