Low scoring in Red Sea Challenge opening round

Cameron, Law and Whiteford lead Tartan 

Army in Egyptian heat with 68s

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Aberdeenshire's Ross Cameron and David Law plus Kirkcaldy-born Peter Whiteford led the eight Scots in the field with four-under-par 68s on the first day of the Red Sea Egyptian Challenge at Sokhna Golf Club, Ain Sokhna, Suez in Egypt.
On a windless day when the par-72, 6,969yd course was vulnerable, Englishman Jordan Smith, 23, from Wiltshire, a 2013 Walker Cup player and also the Brabazon Trophy winner during his stellar amateur career, led the birdie-fest with a nine-under-par 63 (33-30) which included one eagle (at the par-5 15th), nine birdies and two bogeys.
He leads by two from France's Joel Stalter.
Said Aberdonian David Law (pictured)

" Happy with my start today. I played some good golf and was six-under-par through 14 holes. A little disappointed to drop two shots over the closing holes but a good start to the week nonetheless. 
"It was about 32 degrees today with little wind so feeling very hot on and off the course!" 
Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player Law, looking for "big things" this year, had an eagle 3 at the long fifth and birdies at the short fourth, 12th, 13th and 14th before bogeying the 15th and short 16th in halves of 32-36.
Saltire Energy-sponsored Cameron, from Ellon, also had halves of 32-36 but his was a bogey-free round highlighted by birdies at the third, seventh, eighth and 10th.
Fifer Whiteford had one bogey but five birdies after the turn - at the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th and 18th - in halves of 36-32.
Scott Henry had a double bogey 6 at the long seventh but that did not upset him too much as he had a bag of six birdies in his three-under 69 (34-35)
Ross Kellett (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) had four birdies between the third and the 10th, bookended by bogeys at the second and 15th in his 70 (33-37).
Duncan Stewart and Jack Doherty both had halves of 36-37 in their 73s.
Paul Shields ran up a quadruple bogey 8 at the second and then a triple bogey 6 at the short fourth in taking 42 shots to the turn on his way to a 79.
More than 100 of the field of 144 shot par or less.
FIRST ROUND
Par 72. Yardage: 6,968
63 J Smith (Eng)
65 J Stalter (Fra)
66 M Wallace (Eng), E Kofstad (Nor), J Blauuw (SAf)
67 J L Casanova (Fra), F Bergamaschi (Ita), J Barnes (Eng), R Goger (Aut), R Langasque (Fra), L Gagli (Ita), J Wrisdale (Eng), S Heisele (Ger), G P Mateu (Spa), C-E Russo (Fra).
68 A Maestroni (Ita), A Saddier (Fra), T Pulkkanen (Fin), D Law (Sco), S Fernandez (Spa), R Cameron (Sco), V Riu (Fra), P Whiteford (Sco), D Frittelli (SAf), H Casey (Eng), E Dubois (Fra), P Mejow (Ger). 

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
69 S Henry (T27)
70 R Kellett (T44)
73 D Stewart, J Doherty (T104)
79 P Shields  (T141)
Field of 144 players. 


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 Jordan Smith too hot to handle with a 63
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Jordan Smith set the pace on day one of the Red Sea Egyptian Challenge  with an opening round of 63 at Sokhna Golf Club on the European Challenge Tour.
The Englishman was too hot to handle in the Egyptian sun, picking up nine birdies and one eagle in a blistering first round which saw him end the day on nine under par – just one shot shy of the course record.
The 23 year old, who won the 2015 Euro Pro Golf Tour to gain his playing rights for the 2016 Road to Oman, took full advantage of ideal conditions in Ain Sokhna and was delighted with his day’s work.
“I could tell it was going well out there today,” he said. “I didn’t really hit any bad shots. I hit a lot of shots close, holed a lot of putts and hit it really well tee to green.
“I missed a few greens on the par threes which led to two bogeys but apart from that I am over the moon.
“The pins out there were tough, they were tucked away in a lot of slopes, but it was fair apart from that with the large fairways.
“I got off to a nice steady start in Kenya and I am just ready to kick on and get the year going now.
“I got a lot of confidence from winning last year and I will use that to try and aim for a spot in the top 15 and a first win.”  
Smith, who represented Great Britain and Ireland at the 2013 Walker Cup, finished the day two shots ahead of Frenchman Joël Stalter.
The 23 year old from Caine, Wiltshire, who broke the course record at the Barclays Kenya Open in the first event of the Challenge Tour season, shot a bogey-free 65 to claim second place.
“I gave myself a lot of chances and it felt like an easy round,” he said. “I kept hitting the fairways and was in a position where I could just hit wedges in. I didn’t make that many putts but I think I only really missed one shot the whole round. 
“I thought my strategy was good today as I did not make any mistakes. I hit some good lines off the tee and I will just keep on doing what went well today.”
Former Challenge Tour Rankings winner Espen Kofstad carded a six under par 67 to tie for third place alongside Englishman Matt Wallace and South African Jacques Blaauw.
France's reigning British Amateur Champion Romain Langasque, fresh from his debut at Augusta National in the Masters Tournament, made a good start to life in the paid ranks by finishing the day five under par.