Super Syme leads by six at Battle Trophy halfway

Drumoig Golf Centre professional's son Conor Syme showed he was more than a chip off the old block by surging six strokes clear of a quality field at the halfway stage of this weekend's SGU 72-hole Order of Merit event, the Battle Trophy, over the Craighead Links of the Crail Golfing Society, Fife, writes Colin Farquharson.
Syme, 20, who won the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish schoolboys title twice in succession (2012 and 2013), opened up a two-stroke first-round lead with a great opening round of eight-under-par 64, only one shot outside the course record set by Jack McDonald in this tournament 12 months ago.
And Conor, son of and coached by Stuart Syme, the former Dumfries and Co pro who up sticks to buy the Drumoig Golf Centre in Fife, achieved his 64 despite a double bogey 5 at a short seventh hole had he had aced in Friday's practice round.
Syme, leading by two from British amateur champion Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), just back from playing in the masters, then went out in the afternoon to also post the best second round of a five under par 67 and move to 13-under par 131. 

He ended the day's play six clear of Neil who shot scores of 66 and 71 for 137
And Beardsen's Ewan Ferguson, who dropped four shots but birdied the third, sixth, eighth, 14th and 18th - some of the most difficult holes on the course - remains in sight of a goal to capture three 72-hole  events in succession - the Scottish Champion of Champions (not an Order of Merit event) at Leven, the Craigmillar Park Open in Edinburgh last weekend, and the Battle Trophy,  with scores of 68 and 70 for six-under 138, the same mark as Fraser Davren.
The halfway cut fell at five-over-par149, by far the lowest since the tournament. Last year the corresponding figure was 158, which underlines the quality of the field this year.

Crail member, Fraser Carr is pleased to have carded a solid 70, moving him up the leaderboard and giving him every chance to pick up important WAGR points.
Defending champion Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) was the most notable player among those who missed the halfway cut at 149. He took one shot too many for a 150 total

 

QUALIFIERS FOR FINAL TWO ROUNDS
Par 144 (2x72) CSS 74 74
131 C Syme 64 67
137 B Neil 66 71
138 F Davren 69 69, E Ferguson 68 70
139 G Robertson 68 71
140 G Marchbank  70 70
141 C Ross 70 71, O Roberts 70 71, S Robertson 69 72, H Tomlinson 68 73
142 D Watson 73 69, D Young 71 71, R White 70 72
143 F Carr 73 70, A Culverwell 71 72
144 J McDonald 73 71, A Campbell 72 72, A Carrick 71 73, J Wright 69 75
145 A Cameron 75 70, S Gibson 73 72, M Pennycott 73 72
146 J Mathers 78 68, A Moir jun 76 70, A Davidson 73 73, S Rennie 74 72, L Robinson 72 74, J Bunch 71 75, J Savage 69 77, J A Wilson 71 75
147 C Maclean 74 73, S Grant 74 73, C Edgar 73 74, S Aitken 70 77
148 M Iten 77 71, M Clark 74 74, S Scott 74 74, M Bacigalupo 74 74
149 G Munro 76 73, J Harling 77 72

MISSED THE CUT
150 N Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 72 78, F Moore (Glenbervie) 72 78, D Mitchell jun (Leven Thistle) 73 77, R Campbell (Falkirk) 74 76, A Blaney (Liberton) 75 75, J Shaw (Boat of Garten) 76 74.
151 C Neil (Blairgowrie) 72 79, William Bremner jun (Edzell) 73 78, D Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle) 76 75.
152 S Fairburn (Torwoodlee) 72 80, Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) 76 76, K Godsman (Moray) 76 76, D Cairnie (Carnoustie Caledonia) 77 75, L Bain (Turnhouse) 79 73.
153 M O'Donnell (Hamilton) 75 78, C Telfer (Prestwick St Cuthbert) 79 74
154 G Wishart (Lundin) 75 79, G Forrester (Lundin) 75 79, R Wardlaw (Carnoustie Caledonia) 77 77, S Easton (Irvine) 78 76
155 B Kinsley (St Andrews) 73 82, D Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 79 76
156 M Miller (Lundin) 73 83, C Pirie (Millport) 81 75.
157 E Shannly (Linlithgow) 77 80, H Nelson (Kilsyth) 81 76
157 M Gray (North Berwick) 80 78
159 Nicholas Peoples (Royal Lytham) 80 79.
160 W Kerr (Craigielaw) 77 83
167 A McDougall (Drumoig) 81 86
NR J Berry (Torwoodlee) 79 NR, J Douglas (Leven Th) 81 NR



TEE TIMES FOR SUNDAY'S FINAL TWO ROUNDS
07:10 and 11:40
Jack Harling and Gordon Mun07:20 and 11.50
Michael Bacigalupo and Sandy Scott
07:30 and 12.00
Matthew Clark and Marco Iten
07:40 and 12:10
Steven Aitken and Colin Edgar
07:50 and  12:20
Scott Grant and Chris Maclean
08:00 and 12.30
James A Wilson and Jamie Savage
08:10 and 12.40
James Bunch and Luke Robinson
08:20 and 12.50
Steven Rennie and Andrew Davidson
08:30 and 13.00
A Moir Jnr and John Mathers
08:40 and 13.10
Malcolm Pennycott and Scott Gibson
08:50 and 13:20
Allan Cameron and Jeff Wright
09:00 and  13:30
Angus Carrick and Andrew Campbell
09:10 and 13:40
Jack McDonald and Alexander Culverwell
09:20 and 13.50
Fraser Carr and Ryan White
09:30 and 14.00
Daniel Young and Darren Watsom
09:40 and 14.10
Henry Tomlinson and Scott Robertson
09:50 and 14.20
Oliver Roberts and Craig Ross
10:00 and 14.30
Greig Marchbank and Graeme Robertson
10:10 and 14:40
Ewen Ferguson and  Fraser Davren
10:20 and 14:50
Bradley Neil and Connor Syme