St Andrews Links Trophy continues over Old Course

McNicoll sets clubhouse

target of six-under-par

138 with a 71

Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll set the clubhouse target of six-under-par 138 in the second round of the 72-hole St Andrews Links Trophy amateur stroke-play tournament today.

After Friday's opening round over the Jubilee Course, where a five-under-par 67, left him in a tie for third place, one shot off the pace set by fellow Scots Wallace Booth (Comrie) and Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan), McNicoll was not too displeased with a 71 over the Old Course.

Booth reached the turn in 38 and had still to finish at the time of writing. Macaulay will be in the third last threesome to finish this evening. Macaulay turned in 35 and was on course to take over the pole position but the inward half was becoming increasingly difficult to master in the wind.

Sunday's two final rounds will also be over the Old Course.

"It's certainly more difficult for everyone today compared with the first round," said McNicoll, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved).

"Anytime you under par over the 'Old Lady,' you've got to be happy. OK, so I bogeyed the 16^th and 17^th so I could have been two or three shots better but I'll take six-under-par for two rounds.

"In 2006, I finished third after being outgunned down the home straight by Oliver Farr."

McNicoll finished runner-up in the recent Irish open amateur stroke-play but missed the cut in both the weather-hit Brabazon Trophy and Scottish open amateur stroke-play where the first round was decisive.

"I feel like it's been a stop-start-stop season for me so far but over the last two days, I am beginning to feel I've got it going again. I'm hitting the ball OK and I've got the speed of the greens which is important.

"The Old Course is definitely one of my favourites. It never plays the same way twice."

McNicoll birdied the second, sixth, ninth, 11^th and 14^th in halves of 34 (two under par) and 37 (one over). He bogeyed the seventh, 10^th, 16^th and 17^th.

Former Australian amateur champion Rohan Blizard showed the scoring potential on a day when haar made things difficult for the early starters, by reducing the outward nine holes to only 30 shots – birdies at the first, second, third, fifth, seventh and ninth.

He came home in 36 for a six-under-66.

The first round over the Jubilee cost him 79 shots so a 36-hole total of 145 was very much borderline as estimates of the cut rose as the second day progressed.

Scottish boys' match-play champion Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) had a 71 for 139, so he was assured of playing over the Old Course twice more on Sunday.

"I've never played it before. It's awesome. I had goose bumps just standing on the first tee waiting to play," said Michael who starts a four-year golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University in the autumn.

"I've given myself a long-range target of making the 2011 Walker Cup team before I turn pro."

.