Hutcheon and Fox share Deer Park Masters halfway lead with 67s, shot ahead of Brown

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Man-in-form Greig Hutcheon shares the lead with Graham Fox at the halfway stage of the £15,810 Deer Park Masters at the Livingston venue.

Both shot five-under-par 67s to be a shot ahead of third placed Graeme Brown (Montrose Links)

Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player Hutcheon has won two and been second three times in his last seven Tartan Tour events, having won the Ellon pro-am on July 31.

Hutch got off to a great start with birdies at the first two holes. Although he dropped a shot at the third, he birdied the long eighth on his way to a two-under-par outward half of 34.

Hutcheon had a bogey-free inward half of 33, studded with three further birdies at the 13th, 14th and 18th.

Fox (Clydeway Golf) took longer to warm up to the task in hand and was one over par on the eighth tee. Then he got in the mood and covered the remaining holes with birdies at the eighth, ninth, 10th,14th,16th and 17th, that inward 32 including 2s at the short 10th and 16th.

Brown matched Hutcheon's 34 for the first nine, thanks to an eagle 3 at the eighth but he shed a shot at the long 14th and needed a grandstand finish of birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th to stay in touch with the co-leaders.

EMTEC DEER PARK MASTERS

Par 72

FIRST-ROUND SCORES

67 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC), G Fox (Clydeway Golf)

68 G Brown (Montrose Links)

69 S Taylor (Bothwell Castle), M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy), P McKechnie (Braid Hills).

70 S Gray (Hayston, C Gillies (unatt), F Mann (Carnoustie GC), J McGhee (Bishopbiggs)

71 K McNicoll (Gullane), C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), C Ronald (Carluke), P Walker (Ballumbie Castle).

72 D Watters (Gourock),  C Billows (Gleneagles), P Wardell (North Berwick), D Orr (Eastwood), G Paxton (Ralston), C Kelly (unatt), A Oldcorn (Kings Acre)

73 P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf), G Wright (West Linton).

J Lomas (Caprington), D Wood (Hirsel), C Currie (Caldwell).

74 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs

75 J McCreadie (Largs), I Graham (Crow Wood), J Sharp (Carrick on Loch Lomond), M Hillson (Tandridge), S Henderson (Kings Links).

76 S Craig (S Craig Golf), J Fraser (Renaissance), C Gordon (Edinburgh GC), G Hardy (Prestwick St Nicholas).

77 C Armstrong (Burntisland), R Tinker (Piperdam), V Brown (LGM), A Hutchison (Douglas Park).

78 G Hay (Nairn Dunbar), G Law (Uphall).

79 S Costello (Strathaven)

80 O Robertson (Dunblane New), R McConnachie (Drumoig), S Milne (Balbirnie Park), N Huguet (Musselburgh)

81 R Dixon (Renaissance), J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), C Brown (Carrick on Loch Lomond).