JAMES BYRNE (61) SMASHES NEWBURGH COURSE RECORD

Banchory's James Byrne smashed the Newburgh on Ythan golf course record with a brilliant round of ELEVEN-under-par 61 to lead the North-east District Open championship field by seven shots at the halfway stage of the 72-hole Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit tournament.

Byrne, a student at Arizona State University, recaptured the form which won him the Scottish boys' stroke-play title last year and earned him Scotland men's international honours.

This season, James' form had not been good enough to earn him further caps but he showed at Newburgh today that the talent is still there.

His scorecard read:

OUT: 333 234 334 – 28 (eight under par).

IN: 444 344 244 – 33 (three under par).

He had eagles at the third and fourth and birdies at the first seventh, eighth, ninth, 13^th, 16^th and 18^th.

Coupled with his opening par round of 72, Byrne's 36-hole tally of 11-under-par 133 put hin seven shots clear of his nearest challenger Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) with Sunday's final two rounds to play. Nicol scored 69 and 71.

Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), who plays for the University of Louisville-Kentucky on the American college circuit, is lying in third place on 141 with scores of 71 and 70.

And a third US college golfer in the top fourth is Byrne's Banchory team-mate, Scott Larkin (Charleston College) with 69 and 73 for 142.

A total of 40 players with aggregates of 154 qualified for the last two rounds.

 

LEADING QUALIFIERS

Par 144 (2 x 72)

133 J Byrne (Banchory) 72 61.

140 K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 69 71.

141 L Kirton (Newmachar) 71 70.

142 S Larkin (Banchory) 69 73.

143 S Buchan (Royal Aberdeen) 76 67, B Innes (Murcar Links) 74 69, P McLean (Peterhead) 73 70.

144 P Betty (Hayston) 73 71, M Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) 73 71, B Fotheringham (Forres) 72 72.

145 A Bews (Murcar Links) 72 73, E McIntosh (Newmachar) 71 74, R Young (Nigg Bay) 69 76.

146 M Lamb (Haddington) 76 70.

147 G Paterson (St Andrews New) 77 70.

148 D Yeats (Nigg Bay) 77 71, G Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan) 76 72, N McKinnon (Murcar Links) 75 73, B Edmond (Bon Accord) 74 74, D Law (Hazlehead) 74 74, G Taylor (Meldrum House) 73 75, I Welsh (Nigg Bay) 72 76.

148 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 71 77.

149 C McKen (Murcar Links) 76 73, G Yates (Hilton Park) 74 75, M Russo (Drumpellier) 73 76.

150 A Cappi (Loretto School) 75 75, S Borrowman (Dollar) 75 75.

151 D Millar (Oldmeldrum) 77 74, N Robson (Meldrum House) 75 76.