Hutcheon flying on the wings of an eagle!

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Greig Hutcheon made a flying start to the two-day Deer Park Masters Order of Merit event with a brilliant round of eight-under-par 64 at the Livingston venue.

The PLGC Inchmarlo man, pictured, had an eagle (at the 14th) and seven birdies in his first 14 holes to stand nine-under-par but he dropped a shot at the 16th in halves of 33 and 31.
At one stage Hutcheon's round opened up a six stroke advantage over the field but later Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) and Derek Watters (Gourock) came in with good but not quite as good scores of 66 and 67.
Said Hutcheon: 
"Golf can be such a strange event ! After struggling to score last week all four days at the club pros' championship, today at Deer Park I scored great! 
"Eight under par without playing any better than last week but did not find trouble and a few putts dropped, rather than tapping in after a near miss. 
"I have had a great history at Deer Park and I'mhoping for another victory . I must say the extensive drainage and course work John Muir has undertaken has resulted in the best conditions at the course I have ever seen."
O'Hara and Watters both had eagle 3s at the long second and both had halves of 33.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
64 G Hutcheon (PLGC Inchmarlo)
66 P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf)
67 D Watters (Gourock)
70 M Kerr (Dalmahoy), D Wood (Hirsel), C Currie (Caldwell)
71 G Fox (Clydeway Golf), P Wardell (North Berwick), M Hillson (Kilconquhar Castle), F Rummins (Canmore), C Kelly (unatt).
72 G Law (Uphall), A Welsh (Cathkin Braes), C Ronald (Carluke), S Gray (Lanark)
73 C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), J McGhee (Whitehill House), G Brown (Montrose Links)
74 F Mann (Carnoustie), S O'Hara (unatt), S Craig (Craig Golf), S Catlin (Affordable Golf), P Robinson (Largs), G McBain (Newmachar), P Walker (Ballumbie Castle)
75 A Oldcorn (Kngs Acre), N Huguet (Musselburgh), S Henderson (Kings Links), C Gordon (Edinburgh GC), C McMaster (Wellsgreen), G Paxton (Ralston), J Lomas (Caprington).
76 D Orr (Eastwood), K McNicoll (Gullane), R Munro (Duddingston).
77 R Arnott (Bishopbriggs), S McLaren (Blairgowrie), F Thomson (Trump Turnberry), A Waugh (Clydebank and Dist), P Kerr (Hayston).
78 I Stoddard (Greenburn), D Flannery (Caldwell), G Hay (Golspie), S Binning (Mearns Castle)
79 A Burns (Bothwell Castle).
80 S Milne (Balbirnie Park)
83 I Brown (Newent)
85 D McKay (Wellsgreen), J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen)