Bell's birdie blitz takes him into lead at
Scottish senior open amateur championship





By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Downfield's Graham Bell covered his last 15 holes in eight under par to take a two-stroke lead over a field of 144 competitors with a five-under 66 at the end of the first round of the Scottish senior men's open amateur championship at Royal Burgess Golfing Society, Edinburgh today.
Bell made a depressing start with a double bogey 6 at the first and a bogey at the third, but he shook off the blues by birdieing the fourth, sixth, eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th for halves of 34 and 32.
That gave him a two-stroke overnight advantage  from Stephen East (Wike Ridge) at the head of a leaderboard on which Scots were outnumbered by players from south of the Border.
Gary Cochran (Irvine Ravenspark) had a hole in one at the 13th on his way to a round of 72 and joint 16th position overnight

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
par 71. SSS 71, CSS 72
66 G Bell (Downfield).
68 S East (Wike Ridge).
69 A Stracey (Denham), Craig Pates (Moseley), C Aukett (Boyce Hill), D Nelson (Northenden).
70 K Diss (John O'Gaunt), T Gray (Royal Jersey), T McLevy (Blairgowrie), D Shields (Glenearn).
71 B Harris (USA), M Stones (Boyce Hill), R Latham (Woodhall Spa), R Partridge (Wildernesse), R A Clark (Erskine).
72 K Worm (Denmark), D Cameron (Moor Park), A K Helm (Merchants of Edinburgh), G Cochran (Irvine Ravenspark), A Mew (Stoneham), T A Foster (Accrington), I Brotherston (Dumfries and Co), T Whittaker (Beaconsfield), J Colvin (East Devon), D Imrie (Lundin).
73 G Bolla (Italy), L Blair (Grangemouth), I Crowther (Royal Lytham), R W Smith (Nairn), S King (W Lancs), F H McCluskey (R and A), A G Ross (Deeside), A Carman (Coventry), G Forrest (Northumberland), R Elmes (Stoneham), G Wilson (Calcot Park), D Stratton (S Africa), G C Barrie (Callander), A Belford (Prestwick St Nicholas), D Cromie (Denham)
74 D Martin (Carnoustie), M Baker (Whitburn), B Muir (Dalmahoy Hotel), J Aman (Grangemouth), J Fraser (Royal Burgess), R Stewart (Tulliallan), A Atkinson (Windermere), D Dickson (Lochmaben), N Evans (St Mellons, Cardiff), C Jones (West Sussex)
75 J W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen), T Patterson (Sunningdale), D Logie (Craigie Hill), D Simpson (Lytham Green Drive), J Watt (Edzell), B Bromilow (Chorley), J Archibald (Luffness New), G MacDonald (Glenbervie), P Slater (Sandiway), M Fell (Copt Heath), M Cooper (Reigate Hill), N Chesters (Hawkstone Park), I Dickson (Gullane), I Attoe (Worplesdon).
76 R Goolsby (USA), N Robson (Meldrum House), A J Smith (Turriff), H Sutherland (Alnmouth), D Mears (Costa Rica), P Simpson (Alnmouth), G McNab (Lundin), R Stewart Miller (Cochrane Castle), K Evans (Vale of Llangollen), T Brown (Stand), A Harkness (Southerness), M Reid (Sonning), L Bruckner (Hindhead). I Fyfe (Musselburgh)


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