JASON CHASING GOLDEN FLEECE AGAIN IN NORTHERN OPEN

GREIG HUTCHEON in action in the AAM Northern Open today By COLIN FARQUHARSON, Colin@scottishgolfview.com The Northern Open has brought the best out of Jason McCreadie once again. Winner in 2004 and again in 2006 of the 72-hole Tartan Tour major  - now sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management - the 42-year-old Buchanan Castle pro climbed up through a crowded leaderboard late in the day to lead with a five-under-par 65. Also Scottish PGA champion at Gleneagles in 2008, McCreadie won three pro-ams early in the season but said frankly after his excellent round at Meldrum House Golf Club, Oldmeldrum - "I've played rubbish since July." McCreadie, pictured, might have sensed it was going to be his day when he holed from 40ft, almost off the green, for a birdie 3 at the third. Then he got down in two shots frohim 65yd with a lob wedge and a 6ft putt for another birdie at the eighth. McCreadie needed a powerful finish to overhaul the quartet who had been sharing the clubhouse lead on 66 and he rose to the challenge. Jason birdied the long 16th with a drive, a wedge and two putts. Then he eagled the driveable 17th with a tee shot of more than 300yd and holed the putt from 7ft for 2. Banchory's best - Greig Hutcheon and James Byrne - had much earlier tamed a blustery wind to be out on their own sharing the lead halfway through the opening day Both shot four-under-par 66s in the toughest conditions of the day - and then the wind dropped and they were joined in a four-way share of the overnight lead by Ayrshire-based Englishman Jonathan Lomas, the 1994 European Tour Rookie of the Year, and David Patrick, a member of the Walker Cup-winning GB and I team at Nairn in 1999. By the end of a long day at the Aberdeenshire parkland course, where preferred lies were in operation, a total of 16 players had got under the par of 70 for the Scottish PGA's composite course of 6,700yd. Hutcheon, 39-year-old winner of this Tartan Tour major two years ago, and 23-year-old Byrne, who leaves on Sunday to return to the second half of the Asian Tour, constructed their 66s via different routes. Hutch birdied the long fifth, the long 11th, the par-4 12th, the long 16th and the almost driveable par-4 17th. "I'm quite happy with that score. In fact, 66 is the best I have ever scored round here. I think I had two of them when I won the Northern Open two years ago," said Greig who is looking forward to becoming a dad for a second  time in late December. Byrne highlighted his card with an eagle 3 at the 11th  and also had birdies at the long fifth, the 12th, 16th and 17th. But he bogeyed the short 18th - "There was a lot of wind around at that time and I hit a six-iron over the flag but it was too long and I took another three shots to get down," said Byrne who has gone round the Meldrum House course in 59 shots in a bounce game and uses the memory of that dream score to spur him on when he is playing the course competitively. Leading the chase for the leading amateur's Bookless Cup - given that he is not going to repeat David Law's success last year as an amateur - is home course player Calum Trahan.  Playing with McCreadie, the 21-year-old had a 67, thanks to birdies at the fifth, 11th, 13th and 16th and he holed a 20ft putt across the 18th to save par. His only bogey had come at the ninth. "I hit 16 greens in regulation but so I should - I know this course very well, I play it all the time," said Calum. Second amateur overnight is Scott Crichton (Aberdour) whose 69 could so easily have been a 66. He bogeyed  the long 16th and had a double bogey 5 at the short 18th. Aberdonian Greg McBain (Gamola Golf) was the first man to break 70 with a 69 which included birdies at the eighth, 16th and 17th, his strong finish coming after bogeys at the 11th and 14th. Defending champion David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) was disappointed to start with a 73 which was a decent round wrecked by a double bogey 5 at the par-3 sixth and a triple bogey 8 at the long 11th where he lost a ball off the tee on the right and had a bogey with his second ball. "That's probably as poor as I've played all year," said David, a winner in Morocco on the EPD Tour.  HEATHER BLOOMING Heather MacRae (Gleneagles), a former British women's amateur stroke-play champion, had a creditable 72, which included a double bogey 6. Heather, pictured in action today, and Emma Fairnie (Gullane) are playing a course that is between 10 and 14 per cent shorter than the one for for the males. The field will be cut to the leading 40 and ties at the end of the second round. At the moment it looks like 144 will be the borderline. Traditionally the Northern Open's last two rounds are played on the third and final day. This week's event has been stretched into a four-day tournament ending on Friday.