Scotland joint sixth after first round of PGAs

of  Europe international team championship


Scotland, represented by Graham Fox, Gareth Wright and David Orr, were lying joint sixth on 144 at the end of the first round of the PGAs of Europe international team championship over the Gloria course at Antalya in southern Turkey.
The three-man teams count their best two individual rounds daily.
France (139) lead from Germany and Ireland on 140 with Italy next on 142 and England fifth on 143.
Graham Fox was the best placed Scot on the individual scoreboard. He was tied fifth with Ireland's Eamonn Brady on a three-under-par 69, two behind leader Mikael Altmeyer (France).
Scotland have won the tournament eight times in all, including two of the past three years. They are the defending champions.
The tournament is over four rounds and ends on Friday.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
par 144 (2x72)
139 France
140 Germany, Ireland (Brendan McGovern, Eamonn Brady, Damien Mooney).
142 Italy
143 England (Michael Watson, Cameron Clark, Paul Hendriksen).
144 Scotland (Graham Fox, Gareth Wright, David Orr), Netherlands.
147 Turkey
148 Austria, Wales (Richard Dinsdale, Sion Bebb, Adam Constable).
149 South Africa
150 Denmark, Iceland, Poland, Greece.
151 Switzerland
152 Sweden, Slovenia
154 Germany
155 Czech Republic
156 Hungary, Finland
159 Croatia.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS
par 72
66 Mikael Altmeyer (France)
67 Nicolas Vanhootegem (Belgium).
68 Luca Beneduce (Italy), Eamonn Brady (Ireland).
69 Graham Fox (Scotland) , Eamonn Brady (Ireland)
SELECTED SCORES

71 Paul Hendriksen (England), Brendan McGovern (Ireland) (T8)
75 Gareth Wright (Scotland) (T26)
77 David Orr (Scotland) (T39)



TO VIEW ALL THE INDIVIDUAL SCORES

CLICK HERE

 FROM THE PGAs OF EUROPEA WEBSITE

France were indebted to Mickael Altmeyer for their place at the top of a congested leaderboard after the first round of the International Team Championship (ITC).

With each team comprising three members and the best two scores counting, Altmeyer’s six-under-par round of 66 proved crucial in the trio’s attempt to repeat their success of 2011.

However, standing at five-under after the first of four negotiations of the Old Course at Gloria Golf Club in the Turkish resort of Belek, their lead is a narrow one.

Just one stroke separates them from Belgium and Ireland who share second place. What’s more, with five strokes spanning the leading seven teams in the 23-strong field pursuing the €6,000 first prize, there is a shortage of wiggle room for the early pacemakers.

The chasing pack in the tournament hosted by Gloria Hotels and Resorts includes the defending champions, Scotland, and Holland, winners in 2013.

By contrast, Belgium, inspired by Nicolas Vanhootegem’s five under-par round of 67, have yet to win the event; likewise Italy who lie fourth, courtesy of Luce Beneduce posting four-under.

Ireland, meanwhile, were the only team to feature two players posting sub par rounds: Eamonn Brady and Brendan McGovern returning scores of  and four and  one-under respectively.

Graham Fox posted three-under as the Scots finished equal with the Netherlands, one adrift of England and three clear of Turkey, the early contenders to be the first winners of the International Team Shield.

That will be awarded to the team representing a PGA with 100 members or fewer and with siblings Savas and Bulant Karatas weighing in with rounds of one and two over respectively, Turkey have a three stroke advantage on Iceland and Poland.