Early bird Fox's 72 defies challengers, wins him £1,100 at Turnberry Ailsa


By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) posted a one-over-par 72 early in the Ayrshire Hospice pro-am over the Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry, then watched as one by one the rest of the field failed to overhaul him in tough scoring conditions.
Fox won the £1,100 top prize despite a double bogey 6 at the first hole and a double bogey 7 at the par-5 10th in halves of 35 and 37.
He made up for his slips with six birdies - at the second, third, fifth, 13th, 14th and 16th.
Alastair Forsyth (Mearns Castle), a trainee on the Tartan Tour earned the £880 runner-up prize with a 73 which included four birdies but also four bogeys in an inward half of 39.
Third-placed James McGhee (Swanston New), who piloted the Munro Partnership amateurs, David Hughes (handicap 18), Jim Dott (167) and John Gilardi (18), to victory with a net team score of 60, finished third individually to collect a £675 reward. But for double bogeys at the sixth and 18th he could have tied winner Fox's 72.


AYRSHIRE HOSPICE PRO-AM
Trump Turnberry Ailsa Course
PRO SCORES
par 71
72 G Fox (Clydeway Golf) £1,100.
73 A Forsyth (Mearns Castle) £880.
74 J McGhee (Swanston New) £675.
75 P O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure), R Leeds (Archerfield Links), S Henderson (Kings Links) £420 each.
77 P Robinson (Largs), C Currie (Caldwell), J McCreadie (Largs) £260 each.
78 G Hutcheon (PLGC Inchmarlo) £200.
79 G Wright (West Linton) £180.
80 I McNab (Trump Turnberry) £170.
83 M Hillson (St Andrews for Golf) £160.
84 G Hay (Grantown on Spey) £150.
85 G Gilmour (Kilwinning SC), G McBain (Newmachar) £150 each.
Team winners
60 Munro Partnership. Pro: J McGhee. Amateurs: D Hughes (handicap 18), J Dott (17), J Gilardi (18)