Craig Ronald (70) leads Blairgowrie
qualifiers for Glenmuir championship

FROM THE DUNDEE COURIER
Former Scottish professional champion Craig Ronald ensured yet another appearance in the final of the flagship event for Britain and Ireland's top club professionals at Blairgowrie (on Monday).
Playing over the Lansdowne course in the 50-strong Scottish regional qualifier for the Glenmuir PGA professional championship, Ronald fire a two-under-par 70 to lead the dozen qualifiers who will now tee up in the £78,000 final at Moortown, Leeds, at the end of July.
Ronald (38) carded five birdies and three bogeys, finishing his round with a flourish on the 437yd closing hole. He launched a towering seven-iron approach shot from exactly 160yd range, which landed pin high, 8ft to the left ot the flag. The putt was going nowhere but the centre of the cup.
Newmachar's Andrew Cooper returned a one-under 71 for second place. His card comprised three birdies and two bogeys.
Kirkcaldy's Anthony Caira, who shot a level par 72, has, at the age of 46, given up the post of the club's director of golf to concentrate on his game with one eye on the European Seniors Tour. But he has not made life easy for himself this year.
"I pulled some tendons in my arms in February and that's effectively sidelined me for the last four months," he said.
"But to turn in such an encouraging performance today is very pleasing."
Caira comes from strong sporting stock. His late father, Phil, was Empire Games (precursor to the Commonwealth Games), weight-lifting champion in the light-heavyweight division in Cardiff in 1958 and again four years later in Perth, Western Australia.
QUALIFIERS
Par 72
70 C Ronald (Carluke).
71 A Cooper (Newmachar).
72 A Caira (Kirkcaldy), K Campbell (Machrihanish), S McNally (Scottish Institute of Sport).
73 S Syme (Dumfries & Co), G Forrester (St Andrews Golf School).
74 A Forrow (Whitecraigs), A J Webster (Edzell), C Elliott (Haggs Castle), R Cartwright (Dunbar), N Huguet (Musselburgh).