FRENCH BOYS LEAD IN SCOTTISH UNDER 16s OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT PORTLETHEN

It's "Vive La France" at the top of the halfway scoreboard in the Scottish Under-16 boys' open amateur championship at Portlethen Golf Club, near Aberdeen.
Antoine Kuoch, one of the youngest at under 14 years in the big field, leads at five-under-par 139 after rounds of 69 and 70.
His nearest challenger going into the final day's 36 holes is a slightly older compatriot, Matthieu Caron on 140 with rounds of 68 and 72.
If there is going to be a home win then it will take a big effort from either Niall McMullen (Lundin) or Duncan McNeill (Powfoot), the leading Scots in joint third and fifth positios respectively.
McMullen has had a pair of one-under-par 71s for 142 while McNeill could be running into form at the right time. He improved form 74 to 69 over the first two days of the championship.
Other Scots in the top 10 are overnight leader Callum Fyfe (Cawder) and Robbie Kemsley (Balmore), both on level par 144.
Fyfe, who had no bogeys in his pacesetting 67 on the first day, took 10 shots more for the second circuit.
He had a double bogey 6 at the nith and bogeys at the third, seventh, eighth, 12th, 14th and 16th. Birdies at the second, fifth and 10th saw him salvage a 77 from the wreckage.
Kemsley also went backwards - from a 69 to a 75.
Players with 36-hole aggregates of 151 qualified for the final two rounds.

SCOTTISH UNDER-16 BOYS OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Portlethen GC, nr Aberdeen
QUALIFIERS FOR LAST TWO ROUNDS
Par 144 (2x72)
139 Antoine Kuoch (Fra) 69 70
140 Matthieu Caron (Fra) 68 72
142 Niall McMullen (Lundin) 71 71, Daniel Hebenstrett (Aut) 73 69
143 Duncan McNeill (Powfoot) 74 69
144 Robbie Kemsley (Balmore) 69 75, Nathan Longley (Worthing) 68 76, Guido Migliozzi (Ita) 75 69, Callum Fyfe (Cawder) 67 77
146 Sam Locke (Banchory) 74 72, Giovanni Tadiotto (Bel) 73 73, Leo Mathard (Fra) 75 71.
147 Murray Naysmith (Marriott Dalmahoy) 74 73, Thomas Murray (Moor Allerton) 73 74, Chris Hurrell (Notts) 70 77, Cameron Black (Cardross) 72 75, Alex Chalk (Dumfries and Galloway) 73 74
148 Robert Watson (Muckhart) 77 71, Diego Manzoni (It) 76 72, Chris Curran (Harb urn) 74 74, Aran Sinclair (B earsden) 76 72, Romain Vallaeys (Fra) 75 73, Glen Burrett (Haggs Castl4e) 74 74, Sam Britton (North Foreland) 74 74, Alberto Castagnara (Ita) 75 73.
149 Victor Courderc (Fra) 77 72, Thomas Thurloway (Mannings Heath) 75 74, Sandy Scott (Nairn) 75 74, Nikolay Dahl (Den) 74 75, Edgar Catherine (Fra) 74 75, Patrick Brennan (B elvoir Park) 74 75, Thomas Jordan (Langley Park) 74 75, Jeong-weon Ko (Fra) 71 78
150 Nino Claycot (Swi) 75 74, Theophile Perrod (Fra) 76 74, Chris Finnie (Lockerbie) 74 76, Lewis Reid (Tantallon) 74 76, Adonis Asikian (Fra) 75 75
151 Andrew Thomson (Lanark) 77 74, John-Paul Ralph (Royal Liverpool) 79 72, Joseph Bryce (Bathgate) 74 77, Brad Bannerman (Strathmore) 78 73, David Ravetto (Fra) 76 75, Julien Hausweiler (Ger) 77 74, Marc Boucher (Carton House) 75 76, Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush) 73 78, Conor Toal (Old Course Ranfurly) 75 76, Valentine Darthout (Fra) 76 75.
SELECTED NON-QUALIFIERS
152 Rory Franssen (Inverness) 76 76, Jack Rogan (Longniddry) 78 74, Fraser Kane (Kirkhill) 75 77, Ryan Brown (Dunfermline) 73 79
153 Marcus Rickard (Dunfermline) 80 73, Gavin Petrie (Forfar) 78 75, Cameron Bryant (Dundas Park) 74 79, Dylan Smith (Deeside) 69 74, Conor MacCallum (Golf House Club, Elie) 77  76.
154 Benjamin Henderson (Deeside) 76 78, Matthew McCulloch (Portpatrick) 75 79, Matthew Dalrymple (Lochwinnoch) 77 77. 
161 Michael Lawrie (Deeside) 85 76.