Gary Boyd leads with a seven-under 64 at Aviemore Challenge
 
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Inspirational pep talks from Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson helped Gary Boyd to continue his golfing rehabilitation to charge to the top of the first round leaderboard at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts.
The Englishman carded an excellent seven under par 64 over the outstanding Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Club in Aviemore to lead by one from Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, Portugal’s José Felipe Lima and Prom Meesawat of Thailand.
Eliot Saltman leads the home charge on five under, with the big Scotsman joining South African Dean Burmester and the English trio of Rob Coles, Ross McGowan and Jack Senior just two off the lead.
Bradley Neil, meanwhile, made a disappointing start to his professional career with a three over 74, but the year old, who travelled to Aviemore having played in the US Open last week as an amateur, was overwhelmingly positive about his first round in the paid ranks.
It was Boyd though, who rightly grabbed the headlines of day one of the €250,000 tournament – the fifth richest event on the Challenge Tour’s 2015 schedule.
The 28 year old began his round at the 11th hole and got his only bogey of the day out of the way early, after which he produced eight fine birdies to soar to the top of the leaderboard.
“It’s a very nice first round to get going this week,” said Boyd. “It’s a course I really like and have had some success on in the past. I finished sixth here in 2009 so I kind of knew I liked the course and it was obviously great to get off to such a good start today.”
Boyd was forced to withdraw from last week’s tournament in France with a calf strain but his two previous results – second in Switzerland and tied fifth in Belgium – mark a return to the kind of form that saw him win his European Tour card via the 2009 Challenge Tour Rankings.
He then enjoyed three seasons on Tour before a dramatic loss of form saw him fall down the Rankings and out of love with the game at which he excels.
The turning point came during a winter practice trip to Lake Nona in Florida, home to Poulter and his Ryder Cup team-mates McDowell and Stenson. Boyd took full advantage of his access to three of the game’s best players and picked the brains of all three superstars as he began to plot his way back to the highest level.
“Basically I had two-and-a-half years of playing rubbish after losing my card in 2012 and at the lowest point I was asking myself, ‘what am I going to do now?’” he said. “I never actually reached the stage of considering chucking it. But I was wondering, ‘is this really worth it?’ “I wasn’t enjoying playing golf anymore or practising.
“There are more lows than highs in this game, but sometimes you have to look back at the good times because you don’t suddenly stop being a good player overnight.
“I got a lot of support from family and friends and Poulter has been good to me, staying in touch and asking what was going on because he had always known me as a good ball striker.
“He told me just to keep working hard and I also got good advice from Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson when I spent time with them at Lake Nona in the States. Henrik has experienced a couple of form slumps so it was good to speak to someone who had been there.
“We had a good chat and he said that he had evaluated everything in his game and his life and changed certain things and I’ve tried to do the same, including getting fitter and going to a new coach in January. We have been working on some good things and I am giving myself better chances.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
64 G Boyd  (Eng);
65 M Lafeber (Ned); J Lima  (Por); P Meesawat  (Tha);
66 D Burmester (RSA); J Senior (Eng); E Saltman  (Sco); R Coles (Eng); R McGowan  (Eng);
67 E Bertheussen (Nor); H Porteous (RSA); J Stalter (Fra);
68 M Orrin (Eng); R Fox (Nzl); R Kellett (Sco); N Quintarelli (Ita); J Doherty  (Sco); J Hansen  (Den); N Henderson (Sco); T Pilkadaris (Aus); N Lemke (Swe); P Widegren  (Swe); J McLeary  (Sco); R Davies (Wal); A Snobeck  (Fra); R Evans  (Eng); M Röhrig (Ger); D Dixon (Eng); J Fahrbring (Swe); J Heath  (Eng); C Gane (Eng); S Heisele (Ger); W Harrold (Eng); S Jeppesen  (Swe);
69 D Law (Sco); P Whiteford (Sco); A Marshall (Eng); B Etchart  (Esp); N Geyger (Chi); J Makitalo  (Fin); A Knappe (Ger); C Shinkwin (Eng); A Dunbar (Nir); E Dubois (Fra); B Åkesson (Swe); C Selfridge  (Nir); G Murray  (Sco); C Gloet  (Den); P Dwyer (Eng); T Remkes (Ned); D Huizing (Ned);
70 C Kelly (Sco); K Hesbois  (Bel); C Arendell (USA); T Linard (Fra); C Ford (Eng); O Bekker (RSA); D Palm (Swe); N Kimsey (Eng); F Andersson Hed (Swe); R Russell (Sco); J Robinson (Eng); J Dantorp (Swe); J Byrne (Sco); R Gouveia (Por); S Manley (Wal); C Berardo (Fra); S Arnold  (Aus); A McArthur  (Sco); B Hemstock (Eng); J Guerrier  (Fra); J Gonnet  (Fra); C Farrelly (Eng); A Bernadet  (Fra); J McColl (Sco); J McDonald (am) (Sco); C Ross (am) (Sco);
71 T Elissalde  (Fra); A Saddier (Fra); J Sjöholm (Swe); N Elvira  (Esp); T Sluiter  (Ned); J Ross (Sco); M McGeady (Irl); N Ravano (Ita); M Delpodio  (Ita); D Im (USA); S Tiley (Eng); S Hodgson (Eng); D Stewart (Sco); P Relecom  (Bel); J Billing (Swe); J Sarasti  (Esp); S Gros (Fra); A Belt (Eng); R McGee (Irl); B Stone (RSA); S Walker (Eng); J Huldahl (Den); S Borrowman  (Sco);
72 D Coupland (Eng); K Ferrie (Eng); B Barham (Eng); F Bergamaschi (Ita); C Aguilar  (Esp); C Hanson (Eng); P Archer (Eng); S Kim (USA); P McKechnie (Sco); F Calmels  (Fra); G Woolgar (Eng); S Griffiths (Eng); G Lockerbie  (Eng); J Watts (Eng); M Søgaard  (Den);
73 C Suk (Cze); Z Lombard  (RSA); S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp); J Glennemo (Swe); S Piaget  (Mon); E Goya (Arg); S Soderberg (Swe); C Evans (Eng); S Einhaus (Ger); N Bertasio (Ita); L Gagli  (Ita); J Savage (am) (Sco); G Forrest (am) (Sco);
74 J Timmis (Eng); C Currie (Sco); P Gal  (Cze); S Grant  (Irl); B Neil (Sco); H Joannes  (Bel); S Brown (Eng); G Hay (Sco); D Kay (Sco); F McKenna (Sco); A Forsyth (Sco)
75 P Doherty (Sco); S Fallon (Eng); A Ahokas (Fin); G Porteous (Eng); H Satama (Fin); W Booth  (Sco); D Young (am) (Sco);
76 A Bruschi  (Ita); A Gee  (Eng); E Cuartero Blanco  (Esp); R Kilpatrick (Nir);
77 A Hartø  (Den);
78 P Tarver-Jones (Eng);
80 J Gallegos  (Esp); J Shim (am) (Tur);
82 J Rask (Swe); M Guner (am) (Tur);
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Walker pips Mann for Scottish senior pro title 

on countback after tie at Dalmahoy

Thailand-based Kenny Walker won the Scottish senior professional championship at Marriott Dalmahoy today on a card countback after a 36-hole tie on six-under-par 135 with Fraser Mann (Carnoustie Golf Club).
Walker had rounds over the West and East Course of  66 and 69 against Mann's 64 and 71.
The better second round was the tie-breaker with Kenny, originally from Edinburgh, winning the £600 first prize and Mann getting the runner-up award of £450.
Walker, who comes home to Scotland every summer when it gets too hot for him in Thailand, bogeyed the second hole in his second-round 69 but covered the 16 holes in five under par with birdies at the third, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth, turning in four-under 32, before parring every hole after the turn.
Mann, who had a two-stroke advantage over Walker from a first-round 66, will be rueing not so much a bogey at the second hole but a double bogey 6 at the 13th. He had birdies at the fifth, eight, ninth, 10th and 15th in halves of 34 and 37.
Walker and Mann earned £525 each.
Craig Everett (Caldwell), joint first-round leader with a 64, finished third on 136 after a second-round 72.

 FINAL TOTALS
 Par 141 (West Course par 68, East Course par 73) 135 K Walker (unatt) 66 69, F Mann (Carnoustie GC) 64 71 (Walker, £600, won with better second round than Mann, £450)
136 C Everett (Caldwell) 64 72 (£300)
137 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 70 67 (£200)
139 A Hogg (Kingsbarn) 69 70 (£100) (£75)
141 A Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy) 70 71
142 G Law (Uphall) 67 75, C Gillies (unatt) 66 76
143 D Mackay (Wellsgreen) 69 74, S Craig (Craig Golf) 68 75, C Ronald (Carluke) 67 76, C Elliott (Haggs Castle) 65 78.
145 K Hutton (Dunfermline) 68 77
146 G Niven (Ping) 71 75, P Brookes (Pitreavie) 70 76, KCampbell (Machrihanish) 69 77
147 N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh) 69 78
148 A Forrow (Whitecraigs) 72 76
149 D Williamson (Kirkhill) 70 79
151 N Walton (Glasgow) 73 78
152 A Hutton (World of Golf) 75 77
153 S Strachan (Deer Park) 71 82
156 D Ross (Royal Aberdeen) 72 84
160 P Wytrazek (Burntisland) 73 87
164 C Steven (Strathclyde Park) 81 83
Disqualified: D Thomson (Carnegie Club) 68 dq

England men and boys’ teams named for Euro challenge England Golf has named the men’s and boys’ teams to seek medals at next month’s European team championships, which take place from July 7-11. The men’s team is: Ashley Chesters of Shropshire, Nick Marsh of Yorkshire, Jimmy Mullen of Devon, Ben Taylor of Surrey, Ashton Turner of Lincolnshire (Image © Leaderboard Photography), and Sean Towndrow of Lancashire. The championship will be played at Halmstad Golf Club, Sweden. Last year, the men’s team won the bronze medal, having taken the gold in 2013. The boys’ team is: Bradley Moore of Derbyshire, Marco Penge of Sussex, Harry Hall of Cornwall, Will Enefer of Shropshire, Jamie Li of Somerset and Matty Lamb of Northumberland. The championship will be played at Pickala, Finland The men’s team: Five of the six team members - with the exception of Ben Taylor, who was at university in the USA – were in the winning England team in the biennial international against Spain. Ashley Chesters, 25, (Hawkstone Park) won the European amateur championship last year and in 2013. He was in England’s winning team at the 2015 European Nations Cup and was joint runner-up in the Welsh stroke play. Nick Marsh, 20, (Huddersfield) is the 2014 English amateur champion and also won the Scottish open youths’ title. He was in England’s winning team at the 2015 European Nations Cup and tied fourth in the Welsh stroke play. Jimmy Mullen, 21, (Royal North Devon) won the Welsh stroke play by nine shots and was third when defending his title in the Duncan Putter, also in Wales. He won all four of his games in the international against Spain. Ben Taylor, 23, (Walton Heath) recently holed the winning putt to seal Louisiana State University’s victory in the men’s NCAA Championship, the biggest championship on the US college circuit. He has also won individually in the US and made his full England debut in 2011. Ashton Turner, 19, (Kenwick Park) recently won the Darwin Salver for the second time and has represented GB&I as well as England. He has had top ten finishes in this year’s Scottish stroke play, Lytham Trophy and Duncan Putter. Sean Towndrow, 24, (Southport & Ainsdale) led the English challenge at the 2015 Amateur Championship, reaching the quarter finals. Last year he helped Southport & Ainsdale to win the English Champion Club title. Boys’ team Bradley Moore, 17, (Kedleston Park) has won the English boys’ order of merit for the past two years. He was Irish boys’ open champion last year and was runner up in the Peter McEvoy Trophy this year and last, having won it in 2013. Marco Penge, 17, (Golf at Goodwood) has won the Scottish men’s stroke play, the Peter McEvoy Trophy and the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters this season. He is a past winner of the McGregor Trophy and the Fairhaven Trophies. Harry Hall, 17, (West Cornwall) won the Welsh Youths’ Open last year and this year has finished sixth in both the Darwin Salver and the West of England stroke play. He helped England take second place in the Nations Cup at the German boys' open. Will Enefer, 17, (Wrekin) was runner-up in the German boys’ open and tied third in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Master. He shared fourth place in the Fairhaven Trophies and had top ten finishes in the Peter McEvoy Trophy and the West of England stoke play. Jamie Li, 18, (Bath) was in England’s winning team at the 2014 boys’ Home Internationals. He was runner-up in the Faldo Series Wales championship this year and seventh in the Peter McEvoy Trophy. Matty Lamb, 17, (Hexham) also helped England win the boys’ Home Internationals and was runner-up in last year's Fairhaven Trophies, fourth in the McGregor Trophy and ninth in the European Young Masters. He was fourth in the 2015 McEvoy Trophy. Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193