SALTIRE ENERGY-SPONSORED PAUL LAWRIE GC LADIES TARTAN TOUR

 Emma Fairnie playing her approach to the 18th. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

EMMA FAIRNIE SETS THE PACE WITH

A PAR-MATCHING 71 AT MURCAR LINKS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 
Gullane's Emma Fairnie, with a bag of six birdies over a course she had never played before, set the pace in the first round of the Saltire Energy-sponsored £6,000 Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Tartan Tour 36-hole tournament at Murcar Links Golf Club today.
Emma, an award-winning assistant professional who has landed a golf teaching post in Lydia Ko country in New Zealand, in the autumn, shot a par-matching round of 71 on a cool and sometimes wet afternoon on the North-east coast links north of Aberdeen.
Fairnie birdied the first, long fourth, eighth, ninth, 12th and 14th in halves of 36 (level par) and 35 (level par). She bogeyed the second, third, seventh, 13th and 15th.
"I loved the course. First time I've played it and I was impressed. Its condition was excellent for any time of the year, let alone the first week or so of May before there has been any real growth of grass," said Emma.
Her first-sight high rating of the Murcar Links was endorsed by all the other players in the field who were playing the course for the first time.
She leads by one shot from two players - past Curtis Cup player and former Scottish women's amateur champion Heather Stirling, now based in Fife for professional caddieing work at St Andrews, and former English amateur international Lisa Shervill, who lives at West Kilbride and represents 2-do-Sport.
Heather, who was tempted back into playing the game by the introduction of the Paul Lawrie Ladies Tour last year after her clubs had been gathering dust for six years, had four birdies - first, fourth, 10th and 18th in halves 39 (three over) and 33 (two under).
She had a double bogey 5 at the short hole where £25,000 was on offer for a hole in one - the fifth - and also dropped shots at the second, sixth and ninth.
But Stirling covered the last time with seven pars sandwiched between her birdies at the 10th and last.
Lisa Shervill also had a double bogey on her card - a 6 at the par-4 13th - in halves of 35 and 37. She
birdied the fourth, seventh and 15th, bogeying the first and 15th.
Nobody won the £25,000 hole-in-one prize at the 162yd fifth hole, courtesy of Aberdeen' Atholl Hotel (it's on offer again in the second round).
Glasgow's Gemma Webster, who represents the Succession Group, got closest with a six-iron tee shot to within 6ft of the flagstick. 

Gemma, pictured left on the 18th green, who finished with a creditable 73, earned a £100 prize from the Atholl Hotel and the nearest-the-pin prize is again on offer in the second round.
First prize in the main event is £2,500.
The top 10 and ties after 36 holes will be on the prize list. Should one of the two amateurs in the field of 16 make the top 10 she will receive a prize voucher equivalent to the cash award for a pro with the same aggregate
FIRST-ROUND ROUND SCORES
Par 71 (white tees, 6,200yd)
71 Emma Fairnie (Gullane) 36-35.
72 Heather Stirling (unatt) 39-33, Lisa Shervill (2-do-Sport) 35-37.
73 Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) 37-36, Gemma Webster (Succession Group) 37-36.
75 Michele Thomson (unatt) 36-39.
78 Katy McNicoll (Carnoustie Golf Links) 40-38, Jane Turner (Craigielaw) 39-39.
79 Emilee Taylor (Holmhall) 40-38
81 Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 38-43
82 Georgina Snow (Turnberry Hotel) 42-40
84 Nicola Ferguson (Milngavie) (am) 41-43
85 Martine Pow (Selkirk) 45-40
87 Jorden Ferrie (Kirkintilloch) 41-46
88 Laura Watson (Deeside) (am) 42-46
90 Karyn Burns (kbgplf Indoor Golf Acads) 46-44