PandH Tournament at Renaissance Club

Flyaway Paul comes home in 29 to lead by three

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Paul Robinson (Largs) left the bigger names of the Tartan Tour trailing in his wake after a first-round, six-under-par 65 gave him a three-stroke lead at the end of the opening day in the P and H Championship at The Renaissance Club, next door to Muirfield and Archerfield, in East Lothian.
Robinson did not look the likely leader when he bogeyed the first hole but he turned in level par 36 with birdies at two long holes, the third and the seventh, cancelling out a second bogey, at the ninth.
It was after the turn that Robinson stepped up a gear to power away from the huge field.
He covered the last six holes in six under par with an eagle 3 at the 13th and birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th in an inward 29.
His nearest challengers going into Day 2 are David Orr (Eastwood) and Stephen Gray (Hayston) on the 68 mark.
Orr was joint second, only a shot behind last year's winner of the £7,300 first prize, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) when the inaugural tournament was played at Dundonald Links
Orr birdied the first, fourth, ninth, 13th, 14th and 16th in halves of 35-33.
Gray, a pro-am winner last week, had bogey-free halves of 34-34 with birdies at the first, third and 15th.
Defending champion Arnott is joint 11th on 71.
Not all of the pre-tournament favourites did well. Paul O'Hara chalked up a 79, nine more than his Clydeway Golf team-mate Graham Fox.
The field will be cut to the leading 40 players and ties after the second round.

FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 71
65 P Robinson (Largs)
68 D Orr (Eastwood), S Gray (Hayston)
69 C Currie (Caldwell), P McKechnie (Braid Hills), C Gillies (unatt), P Shields (Kirkhill), P Wardell (North Berwick), G Wright (West Linton), S Henderson (Kings Links)
70 G Fox (Clydeway Golf), R Arnott (Bishopbriggs), G Hay (Nairn Dunbar), S Binning (Mearns Castle), G Paxton (Ralston)
71 K McNicoll (Gullane), M Isaacs (Gamola Golf), J McGhee (Bishopbriggs), L Gaughn (Bathgate), C Everett (Caldwell), C Elliott (Haggs Castle), C Kelly (unatt), S McAllister (S McAllister Golf), G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC).
72 M Hillson (Tandridge), A McDonald (Dunnikier Park), G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC), C Marr (Musselburgh), S Williamson (Clydeway Golf)
73 F Mann (Carnoustie GC), A Reid (West Lothian), J Lomas (Caprington), J Gallagher (Douglas Park), S Taylor (Bothwell Castle), C Gordon (Edinbugh GC), A Welsh (Cathkin Braes).
74 R Neill (Drumpellier), N Huguet (Musselburgh), R Clarke (Gamola Golf), S Morrison (Tain), I Deacon (Loch Lomond), R Munro (Duddingston), C Farrell (Cardross), Brian Marchbank (unatt), G Brown (Montrose Links), T Dingwall (Kemnay).
PROJECTED CUT MARK AFTER 36 HOLES (leading 40 and ties)
75 D Ramsay (Moray), C Goodwin (Duff House Royal), P Walker (Ballumbie Castle), I Taylor (Drumpellier), S McLaren (Blairgowrie), L Vannet (Craibstone)
76 N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh, S Grieve (Turnhouse), N Fenwick (Dunbar), G Law (Uphall), C McMaster (Panmure), C Beveridge (West Kilbride), S Costello (Strathaven), M Kanev (Bruntsfield), L Anderson (Colville Park), C Robertson (Elie Links), S Speirs (Swanston), S Maxwell (Eastwood), M Mackenzie (Edzell)
77 J Fraser (Renaissance), J Dick (Duddingston), R Dixon (Renaissance), S Craig (Craig Golf), C Smith (Royal Musselb urgh), C Sutherland (Cherry Lodge), D Wood (Hirsel), G Robertson (Airdrie), B Harvey (Glasgow), K Walker (unatt).
78 P Edgcomb (Forrester Park), A Mackrell (Playsport Golf), P Brookes (Pitreavie), D Snodgrass (Crail GS) S Savage (Dalmuir), A Hutchison (Douglas Park), F  Cramb (Crieff)
79 A Forrow (Whitecraigs), I Brown (Newent), R Rushford (Glenbervie), M Huish (North Berwick), K Mc Niven (Gleneagles), M Burt (Helensburgh), F Dunlop (Gleneagles), P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf), C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), E Macpherson (Auchterarder)
80 R Buckley (Royal Musselburgh), C Tierney (Bishopbriggs), C Haugh (Cawder), S Walters (Balbirnie Park)
81 G Mackay (Melville GR), D Williamson (Kirkhill), C Lawson (Elmwood) D Swinley (Prestonfield)
82 P Kerr (Hayston), P McKenna (Paul Lawrie GC), P Scanlan (unatt)]
84 P Malone (Braid Hills), A Munro (Elie Links), O Leslie (Piperdam)
89 F Thomson (Turnberry Hotel)
93 I Howieson (Howieson Golf)