CARRICK NEILL SCOTTISH OPEN AMATEUR STROKE PLAY CH/SHIP

HILL AND SMAIL LEADING SCOTS AT

END OF FIRST ROUND AT PANMURE

It's six years since Wallace Booth was the last Scot to win the Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play championship.
The odds against a compatriot beating a star-studded field this weekend are quite long. 
Leading the field at the end of a long first day at Panmure in the 2014 72-hole championship, sponsored by Carrick Neill, is a 22-year-old Australian Geoff Drakeford on the back of an excellent round of five-under-par 65 (34-31) which included birdies at three of the last five holes.
The man from the state of Victoria will be hoping he does better than 12 months ago when he missed the cut in this championship at Southerness.
Nick Marsh (Huddersfield), with a 66, is his closest overnight challenger, followed by Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale) in third place on 67 and Walker Cup Welshman Rhys Pugh on 68.

The leading 
Scots are 
 Calum Hill (Tantallon), pictured right, and Greg Smail (Craigielaw), pictured left, two of seven players sharing fifth place on 69. Hill and Smail are students at the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
Another Scottish student at an American University, Grant Forrest (San Diego and Craigielaw), the top Scot in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and Scottish amateur champion at Dornoch in 2012, did not do so well.
He had a 73 to be sharing 41st place.
Forrest is on the qualifying tightrope in the second round because only the leading 40 and ties will survive the cut on Saturday evening to play two rounds on Sunday.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 70
65 G Drakeford (Australia)
66 N Marsh (Huddersfield)
67 P Howard (Southport and Ainsdale)
68 R Pugh (Wales)
69 A Murdaca (Australia), C Hill (Tantallon), G Moynihan (Ireland), L Tomlinson (West Lancs), S Edwards (Bigbury), G Smail (Craigielaw), J McCormick (Styal).
70 B Neil (Blairgowrie), D Young (Craigie Hill), S Gibson (Southerness), G Marchbank (Thornhill), R Evans (Wellingborough), J Mullen (Royal North Devon), J Savage (Cawder), D Kay (Dunbar).
SELECTED SCOTS
71 M Clark (Kilmacolm), D Elder (Carnoustie), J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), S Fairburn (Torwoodlee), K Godsman (Moray), M Naysmith (Marriott Dalmahoy), J Duff (Newmachar), J Wright (Forres) (T21)
72 N Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), C Baird (Bothwell Castle), G Robertson (Glenbervie), S Stewart (Clydebank Overtoun), P Reilly (Kilmacolm) (T33)
73 C Syme (Dumfries and Co), A Culverwell (Dunbar), B Hume (Haggs Castle), G Forres (Craigielaw), K McClung (Wigtownshire Co), D Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle), G Burns (Williamwood), C Fyfe (Cawder), J Steven (Bothwell Castle) (T49)
74 A Dunton (McDonald Ellon), R MacIntyre (Glencruiten), B Kinsley (St Andrews), M Daily (Erskine), C Ross (Kirkhill), C Macneal (Prestwick), C Cook (Caird Park), A Blaney (Liberton) (T71)
75 E Ferguson (Bearsden), E Scott (St Andrews), J Douglas (Aberdour), C Chalmers (Cawder), J Mathers (Haggs Castle), C Howie (Peebles), J Atiken (Dollar), A Fyfe (Carnoustie), A McDougall (Elderslie), W Bremner (Edzell), G Munro (Fraserburgh), A Hain (St Andrews) (T85).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE