THREE SHARE LEAD IN BATTLE TROPHY AT WINDY CRAIL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com New Scottish Under-18 boys' match-play champion Bradley Neil from Blairgowrie demonstrated he is no slouch at stroke-play either by sharing the lead at the end of the first round of the Battle Trophy 72-hole SGU Order of Merit tournament over a windswept Craighead links at Crail today. Neil shot a one-under-par 71 - six shots under the CSS of 77 - to be on the same mark as Glenbervie's Fraser Moore and the experienced Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe). They led by one shot from Craig Ross (Kirkhill) on his own in fourth place on 72. Seven players on the 73 mark included reinstated amateur Graham Gordon (Newmachar), a former Scottish amateur champion and past Walker Cup player, and Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), last year's SGU Player of the Year. Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire County), beaten by Craig Howie at the third hole of a play-off for the Craigmillar Park Open last Sunday, was on 74. Howie was in danger of going from the sublime to the ridiculouts - in danger of missing the cut after an opening 83. Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm), third in the Craigmillar Park Open, was another in danger of missing the Sunday action. He had an 80. Gordon is not the only ex-pro and former national champion in th field. Same applies to Barry Hume (Haggs Castle). This is his first tournament back on the amateur circuit. He started with a 75. Oliver Roberts (Hong Kong) was disqualified for signing for a wrong figure at one hole. Crail Golfing Society pro Graeme Lennie set the pin positions and he was a touch harsh with some of his selected spots. A couple of the holes were regular three-putt territory. The wind had built up to a healthy 15 mph by the end of the first round,  so life was getting increasingly tough on a course with fast greens, big borrows but no trees! The only No Return was a surprising one - Scotland international Scott Crichton (Aberdour). FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD Par 72 CSS 77 71 B Neil (Blairgowrie), F Moore (Glenbervie), A Dick (Kingsknowe) 72 C Ross (Kirkhill). 73 A Sutherland (Ladybank), K Duncan (Cruden Bay), C Lawton (Falkirk Tryst), G  J Gordon (Newmachar), W Bowe (Workington). 74 K McClung (Wigtownshire Co), E Scott (St Andrews), D Kay (Dunbar). 75 Cormac Sharvin (Stirling Univ), G Robertson (Silverknowes), S McEwan (Loudoun Gowf), Anthony Blaney (Liberton), A Dunton (McDonald Ellon), B J Hume (Haggs Castle), J Duff (Newmachar). 76 S Binning (Ranfurly castle), F McKenna (Balmore), C R Watson (East Renfrewshire), W Bremner (Edzell), D Watson (Peterhead), G Stevenson (Whitecraigs). 77 C A Baird (Bothwell Castle), D Wilson (Troon Welbeck), S Borrowman (Dollar),  B R Fotheringham (Inverness), M Daily (Erskine), J Savage (Cawder), P Spraggs (Stowmarket), P Gault (Westerwood), N Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), N Henderson (Glen). 78 D Oldham (Crail), L Tomlinson (West Lancs), S Maxwell (Windyhill), M Cox (Glenbervie). 79 R Bell (Downfield), J Aitken (Alloa), B McLeod (Musselburgh), J Wright (Forres), A Hain (St Andrews), S Graham (Blairgowrie), R Noon (Craigielaw), S Brown (Turnberry Hotel). 80 R Docherty (Bearsden), M Clark (Kilmacolm)., R Walsh (Kirkcaldy). 81 J Malagueira (Stirling Univ), Steven Rennie (Drumpellier), H Nelson (Kilsyth Lennox), G Robertson (Glenbervie), C Chalmers (Cawder), J Hogg (St Andrews New), K Shanks (Golf House Elie), G Campbell (Blairgowrie). 82 A McDougall (Elderslie), L McAlpine (Royal Dornoch), D Morrison (Duff House Royal) 83 C Howie (Peebles), K MacAskill (Turnberry Hotel), A Culverwell (Dunbar) 84 C Neil (Blairgowrie), C O'Neil (Pollok). 85 D Hulston (Dollar) 86 J Hendrick (Pollok) NR S Crichton (Aberdour). DQ O Roberts (Hong Kong).