No play Tuesday in European boys' team championship
No play was possible today in what should have been the first qualifying round of the European boys' team championship at Bled Golf Club, Slovenia because of bad weather.
It is not clear from the championship website if this means that there will be only one stroke-play qualifying round - on Wednesday - or whether the whole week's programme has been cancelled because, as the website says ..." the future weather forecast."
All should be revealed by the European Golf Association on Wednesday. We have asked the ruling body for clarification of the ambiguous statement in broken English on the championship website.
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Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Jean Van de Velde goiing back to the Open
Barry Hume only Scot to come
through Local Final Qualifying
FROM THE R&A WEBSITE
All but two of the starting field has now been decided for the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Twelve golfers made their way through Local Final Qualifying today, with four players from each of Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale and West Lancs golf clubs earning spaces in the main event next week.
Among the recognisable names to qualify were Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who came so memorably close to victory at the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, and Philip Walton, the veteran English golfer who sank the winning putt at the 1995 Ryder Cup.
Several amateur players also made it through LFQ: Chris Wood, the top-ranked English golfer, succeeded at Hillside, while Tom Sherreard qualified in first place at Southport & Ainsdale.
Two more spots are yet to be decided: one player will qualify from this week's events on the European and US PGA Tours, namely the Scottish Open and John Deere Classic respectively.
There will be four Scots in the Open - Barry Hume, Colin Montgomerie and past winners Paul Lawrie and Sandy Lyle.
Hume, a former Scottish amateur champion, who played in the 2004 Open at Troon, had a second-r0und 75 in tough conditions at West Lancs but his one-over aggregate of 145 was good enough to gain the second of four places on offer behind No 1 qualifier Philip Walton.
Hume had been setting the pace in the qualifying race after opening with a two-under 70.
The 26-year-old from Glasgow, whose pro career has never got off the ground, was still out in front through 12 holes of his second 18 but slipped to bogeys at the 14th, 15th and 17th and had to endure an anxious wait before his Birkdale berth was confirmed.
"This is a huge lift and hopefully I can use this to kick-start my season," said Hume. "I was going along nicely and then hit a very poor second shot at 14 which started a chain of events and led to a couple more bogeys.
"But I hung on in there and I'm delighted to get through. Hopefully I can use the experience of Troon to my advantage this time and have a good week at Birkdale."
Hume was the only Scot out of 23 home hopefuls to progress past the 36-hole shoot-out. Andrew Oldcorn, who led the 1991 Open at Birkdale after two rounds, withdrew from his campaign at West Lancs after an opening 75, while George Murray, the former Scottish amateur champion, missed out at Hillside after a 75 left the Fifer in a share of seventh on 145.
Andrew Coltart, the former Ryder Cup player, also failed there with a 149 after a damaging 77.
Comrie amateur Wallace Booth, in the hunt after a first round 71 at Southport & Ainsdale, toppled out with an 80 for 151, while Raymond Russell, tied fourth the last time the Open was held at Royal Birkdale in 1998, signed off with a 79 to finish well down the order on 154.
SCORES FROM THE FINAL LOCAL QUALIFYING
Each course par 72.
Hillside
Qualifiers
140 Jamie Elson 67 73.
141 Chris Wood (am) 71 72.
143 Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 70 73, Rohan Blizard (Australia) (am) 71 72.
Non-qualifiers included:
144 Craig Goodfellow 71 73, John Wade (Aus) 72 72.
145 Danny Willett 70 75, George Murray 70 75.
146 Stephen Bennett 70 76.
147 Kevin Harper 71 76.
148 Chris Kelly 71 77, Paul Curry 74 74.
149 Ian Walley 68 81, Andrew Coltart 72 77, Jorge Garcia (Spa) 75 74, Jonathan Gidney (am) 74 75, David Coupland (am) 75 74, Warren Wood 75 74, Daniel Brooks 74 75.
150 Brendan McCarroll 76 74, David Green 73 77, Mark Laskey 70 80, Steven Surry 71 79, Dale Marmion 70 80, Gareth Davies 77 73, Carl Corbin (am) 75 75.
151 Mark Ramsdale 74 77, Ally Mellor 71 80, Anthony Tarchetti 75 76, George Cowan 73 78, Richard Gurney 77 74, Danny Belch 73 78, Steven Rettie 76 75, Jose Manuel Ocejo (Spa) 77 74.
152 Iain Simpson 74 78, Duncan Harris (am) 75 77, Mats Hallberg (Swe) 73 79, Michael Nesbit 76 76, Paul Reed 75 77, Adam Keogh (am) 74 78, James Whatley 78 74.
153 Carlos Balmaseda (Spa) 76 77, Steven Brown (am) 80 73, Craig Housden 74 79, Rob Harris 75 78, Jonathan Cheetham 77 76, Jonathan Hurst (am) 77 76, Corey Coshan (am) 76 77.
154 Mark Finlayson 74 80, Sean Mason 80 74, Darren Bartlett 76 78.
155 Jonathan Evans 76 79, Matthew Richardson 72 83, Ben Briscoe 78 77, Myles Cunningham (am) 77 78, David Rawluk (am) 78 77.
156 Craig Butler 77 79, Charlie Cossins (am), Noel Quinn 78 78, Ben Jones 73 83, David Wilson 77 79, James Gurry 81 75, Daniel Sefton (am) 77 79.
157 Lee Nash 76 81.
158 Darren Wright (am) 77 81, Gary Emerson 81 77, Peter Berman (SAf) 78 80, Mark Sheppard 77 81.
159 Ian Lewis 81 78, Jose Luis Adarraga (Spa) 81 78, Richard Wallis 77 82, Kevin Crossland 78 81.
160 David Mansell 78 82, Gary Brown 77 83, Lee Heaton (am) 77 83, Alfredo Da Dorte (Ita) 77 83.
161 Steven McGlynn (am) 78 83.
162 Ron Won (US) 79 83, Adam Scallon 83 79, Ian Cording 83 79.
163 Andrew Miller80 83, Laurence Collier 74 89, Adam Pond 81 82.
164 M Millhouse (am) 80 84.
165 Manfred Krainz (Austria) 85 80.
166 David Corsby (am) 83 83, Mark Harling 81 85.
167 Robert Hillas 85 82.
169 Mark Heinemann 81 88.
No return: Marco Bernardini (Ita), Chris Hall, Nick Deme, Daniel Belcher, Van Phillips, Jake Amos (am).
Southport and Ainsdale
Qualifiers
141 Jon Bevan 70 71, Tom Sherreard (am) 72 69.
143 Gary Boyd 71 72, Jamie Howarth 70 73.
Non-qualifiers included:
143 J Lumpton 71 72.
144 Mark Murphy 70 74, Philip Golding 75 69
146 Cameron Clark 73 73
148 Tim Rice 76 72.
149 J Docherty 73 76.
150 Justin Kehoe 72 78, Oscar Floren (Swe) 73 77, Chris Paisley (am) 75 75, Knud Storgaard (Den) 76 74, Lee Wood 76 74, Shaun Malone (am) 74 76
151 Diego Torne (Spa) 75 76, Warren Harmston (am) 79 72, Wallace Booth (am) 71 80
152 Chris Hanson 73 79
153 Adam Moseley 75 78, Andrew Barnett 78 75, Allyn Laing 78 75.
154 R Russell 75 79.
155 Kelvin Day (am) 80 75, Lloyd Godwin (am) 74 81, Nicholas Pateman (am) 81 74
156 Chris Hudson 77 79, Paul Maddy 78 78
157 Ian Proverbs 75 82
158 Albert MacKenzie 76 82
160 James Barr 81 79
166 Stuart Havelock (am) 80 86, Russ Berry 78 88
169 Roger Gray 79 90
No return: David Drysdale, Lloyd Kennedy, Jason Kelly
Scratched: Anthony Richardson (am)
West Lancashire
Qualifiers
142 P Walton 72 70.
145 B Hume 70 75.
147 J Lomas 75 72, Peter Appleyard 72 75.
Non-qualifiers included:
147 D Shacklady 73 74, D Parris 72 75.
148 David Carter 75 73, Matthew Baldwin (am) 74 74
149 Daniel Gaunt (Aus) 74 75, Andrew Willey 77 72, Peter O'Keeffe 73 76
150 Jason Barnes (am) 75 75, Jason Palmer (am) 72 78
152 Andrew Cloke 80 72
153 Scott Dunlap (USA) 77 76, Oliver Farr (am) 78 75, Simon McGreal 73 80
154 Daniel Sugrue 77 77, (x) Duncan McCarthy 77 77, Jamie Moul 77 77
156 Sam Osborne 76 80, Graeme Brown 78 78
157 James Crompton 77 80, (x) Steven Lane 77 80, Keith Hamilton (am) 76 81
158 Nick Redfern 76 82, Markus Brier (Aut) 78 80, Billy Fowles (am) 74 84, Kevin Freeman (am) 81 77
159 Craig Simmons 75 84, Danny Taylor 77 82, Mark Thistleton (am) 79 80, James McGhee 80 79, Phil Worthington 78 81
160 Scott Emery 80 80
161 Alex Hogben (am) 79 82, Albin Thaller (Aut) 78 83
162 Christopher Cannon (am) 77 85, James Byrne (am) 79 83
164 Tom Boys (am) 85 79, George Woolgar 84 80
168 Lee Rooke 82 86
169 Robert Bardsley (am) 76 93
170 Michael Saunders (am) 80 90
177 Matthew Edwards 85 92.
Scratched: Andrew Oldcorn, Matt Morris, Mark O'Sullivan
No return: Luis Claverie (Spa), Nigel Bark
Disqualified: Jon Wetton
through Local Final Qualifying
FROM THE R&A WEBSITE
All but two of the starting field has now been decided for the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Twelve golfers made their way through Local Final Qualifying today, with four players from each of Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale and West Lancs golf clubs earning spaces in the main event next week.
Among the recognisable names to qualify were Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who came so memorably close to victory at the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, and Philip Walton, the veteran English golfer who sank the winning putt at the 1995 Ryder Cup.
Several amateur players also made it through LFQ: Chris Wood, the top-ranked English golfer, succeeded at Hillside, while Tom Sherreard qualified in first place at Southport & Ainsdale.
Two more spots are yet to be decided: one player will qualify from this week's events on the European and US PGA Tours, namely the Scottish Open and John Deere Classic respectively.
There will be four Scots in the Open - Barry Hume, Colin Montgomerie and past winners Paul Lawrie and Sandy Lyle.
Hume, a former Scottish amateur champion, who played in the 2004 Open at Troon, had a second-r0und 75 in tough conditions at West Lancs but his one-over aggregate of 145 was good enough to gain the second of four places on offer behind No 1 qualifier Philip Walton.
Hume had been setting the pace in the qualifying race after opening with a two-under 70.
The 26-year-old from Glasgow, whose pro career has never got off the ground, was still out in front through 12 holes of his second 18 but slipped to bogeys at the 14th, 15th and 17th and had to endure an anxious wait before his Birkdale berth was confirmed.
"This is a huge lift and hopefully I can use this to kick-start my season," said Hume. "I was going along nicely and then hit a very poor second shot at 14 which started a chain of events and led to a couple more bogeys.
"But I hung on in there and I'm delighted to get through. Hopefully I can use the experience of Troon to my advantage this time and have a good week at Birkdale."
Hume was the only Scot out of 23 home hopefuls to progress past the 36-hole shoot-out. Andrew Oldcorn, who led the 1991 Open at Birkdale after two rounds, withdrew from his campaign at West Lancs after an opening 75, while George Murray, the former Scottish amateur champion, missed out at Hillside after a 75 left the Fifer in a share of seventh on 145.
Andrew Coltart, the former Ryder Cup player, also failed there with a 149 after a damaging 77.
Comrie amateur Wallace Booth, in the hunt after a first round 71 at Southport & Ainsdale, toppled out with an 80 for 151, while Raymond Russell, tied fourth the last time the Open was held at Royal Birkdale in 1998, signed off with a 79 to finish well down the order on 154.
SCORES FROM THE FINAL LOCAL QUALIFYING
Each course par 72.
Hillside
Qualifiers
140 Jamie Elson 67 73.
141 Chris Wood (am) 71 72.
143 Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 70 73, Rohan Blizard (Australia) (am) 71 72.
Non-qualifiers included:
144 Craig Goodfellow 71 73, John Wade (Aus) 72 72.
145 Danny Willett 70 75, George Murray 70 75.
146 Stephen Bennett 70 76.
147 Kevin Harper 71 76.
148 Chris Kelly 71 77, Paul Curry 74 74.
149 Ian Walley 68 81, Andrew Coltart 72 77, Jorge Garcia (Spa) 75 74, Jonathan Gidney (am) 74 75, David Coupland (am) 75 74, Warren Wood 75 74, Daniel Brooks 74 75.
150 Brendan McCarroll 76 74, David Green 73 77, Mark Laskey 70 80, Steven Surry 71 79, Dale Marmion 70 80, Gareth Davies 77 73, Carl Corbin (am) 75 75.
151 Mark Ramsdale 74 77, Ally Mellor 71 80, Anthony Tarchetti 75 76, George Cowan 73 78, Richard Gurney 77 74, Danny Belch 73 78, Steven Rettie 76 75, Jose Manuel Ocejo (Spa) 77 74.
152 Iain Simpson 74 78, Duncan Harris (am) 75 77, Mats Hallberg (Swe) 73 79, Michael Nesbit 76 76, Paul Reed 75 77, Adam Keogh (am) 74 78, James Whatley 78 74.
153 Carlos Balmaseda (Spa) 76 77, Steven Brown (am) 80 73, Craig Housden 74 79, Rob Harris 75 78, Jonathan Cheetham 77 76, Jonathan Hurst (am) 77 76, Corey Coshan (am) 76 77.
154 Mark Finlayson 74 80, Sean Mason 80 74, Darren Bartlett 76 78.
155 Jonathan Evans 76 79, Matthew Richardson 72 83, Ben Briscoe 78 77, Myles Cunningham (am) 77 78, David Rawluk (am) 78 77.
156 Craig Butler 77 79, Charlie Cossins (am), Noel Quinn 78 78, Ben Jones 73 83, David Wilson 77 79, James Gurry 81 75, Daniel Sefton (am) 77 79.
157 Lee Nash 76 81.
158 Darren Wright (am) 77 81, Gary Emerson 81 77, Peter Berman (SAf) 78 80, Mark Sheppard 77 81.
159 Ian Lewis 81 78, Jose Luis Adarraga (Spa) 81 78, Richard Wallis 77 82, Kevin Crossland 78 81.
160 David Mansell 78 82, Gary Brown 77 83, Lee Heaton (am) 77 83, Alfredo Da Dorte (Ita) 77 83.
161 Steven McGlynn (am) 78 83.
162 Ron Won (US) 79 83, Adam Scallon 83 79, Ian Cording 83 79.
163 Andrew Miller80 83, Laurence Collier 74 89, Adam Pond 81 82.
164 M Millhouse (am) 80 84.
165 Manfred Krainz (Austria) 85 80.
166 David Corsby (am) 83 83, Mark Harling 81 85.
167 Robert Hillas 85 82.
169 Mark Heinemann 81 88.
No return: Marco Bernardini (Ita), Chris Hall, Nick Deme, Daniel Belcher, Van Phillips, Jake Amos (am).
Southport and Ainsdale
Qualifiers
141 Jon Bevan 70 71, Tom Sherreard (am) 72 69.
143 Gary Boyd 71 72, Jamie Howarth 70 73.
Non-qualifiers included:
143 J Lumpton 71 72.
144 Mark Murphy 70 74, Philip Golding 75 69
146 Cameron Clark 73 73
148 Tim Rice 76 72.
149 J Docherty 73 76.
150 Justin Kehoe 72 78, Oscar Floren (Swe) 73 77, Chris Paisley (am) 75 75, Knud Storgaard (Den) 76 74, Lee Wood 76 74, Shaun Malone (am) 74 76
151 Diego Torne (Spa) 75 76, Warren Harmston (am) 79 72, Wallace Booth (am) 71 80
152 Chris Hanson 73 79
153 Adam Moseley 75 78, Andrew Barnett 78 75, Allyn Laing 78 75.
154 R Russell 75 79.
155 Kelvin Day (am) 80 75, Lloyd Godwin (am) 74 81, Nicholas Pateman (am) 81 74
156 Chris Hudson 77 79, Paul Maddy 78 78
157 Ian Proverbs 75 82
158 Albert MacKenzie 76 82
160 James Barr 81 79
166 Stuart Havelock (am) 80 86, Russ Berry 78 88
169 Roger Gray 79 90
No return: David Drysdale, Lloyd Kennedy, Jason Kelly
Scratched: Anthony Richardson (am)
West Lancashire
Qualifiers
142 P Walton 72 70.
145 B Hume 70 75.
147 J Lomas 75 72, Peter Appleyard 72 75.
Non-qualifiers included:
147 D Shacklady 73 74, D Parris 72 75.
148 David Carter 75 73, Matthew Baldwin (am) 74 74
149 Daniel Gaunt (Aus) 74 75, Andrew Willey 77 72, Peter O'Keeffe 73 76
150 Jason Barnes (am) 75 75, Jason Palmer (am) 72 78
152 Andrew Cloke 80 72
153 Scott Dunlap (USA) 77 76, Oliver Farr (am) 78 75, Simon McGreal 73 80
154 Daniel Sugrue 77 77, (x) Duncan McCarthy 77 77, Jamie Moul 77 77
156 Sam Osborne 76 80, Graeme Brown 78 78
157 James Crompton 77 80, (x) Steven Lane 77 80, Keith Hamilton (am) 76 81
158 Nick Redfern 76 82, Markus Brier (Aut) 78 80, Billy Fowles (am) 74 84, Kevin Freeman (am) 81 77
159 Craig Simmons 75 84, Danny Taylor 77 82, Mark Thistleton (am) 79 80, James McGhee 80 79, Phil Worthington 78 81
160 Scott Emery 80 80
161 Alex Hogben (am) 79 82, Albin Thaller (Aut) 78 83
162 Christopher Cannon (am) 77 85, James Byrne (am) 79 83
164 Tom Boys (am) 85 79, George Woolgar 84 80
168 Lee Rooke 82 86
169 Robert Bardsley (am) 76 93
170 Michael Saunders (am) 80 90
177 Matthew Edwards 85 92.
Scratched: Andrew Oldcorn, Matt Morris, Mark O'Sullivan
No return: Luis Claverie (Spa), Nigel Bark
Disqualified: Jon Wetton
Ishaq Powers to early lead in
Under-16s championship
By ROSS DUNCAN
Scottish Golf Union
Young Englishman Mikhail Ishaq fired a stunning five under par opening round of 65 to take the early clubhouse lead in the First Point USA Scottish Boys Under-16s stroke-play championship at Glen GC in North Berwick today.
The 16-year-old, from Lee Westwood country in Worksop, fired seven birdies in a breath-taking first round to lead countryman Ben Taylor from Walton Heath by two shots as the opening day neared its conclusion.
In glorious conditions at the superbly-prepared East Lothian course, Ishaq birdied the third and followed that up with consecutive birdies at the 7th, 8th and 9th before dropping a shot at the 9th.
Birdies at the 14th and 15th took the Bondhay youngster to five under par and Ishaq bounced back from a bogey at the 17th to birdie the last for an outstanding 65.
Perthshire’s rising star Paul McPhee, fresh from his fourth place finish at last week’s McGregor Trophy, leads the Scottish challenge on two under, one ahead Falkirk’s Jamie Lynch after his opening 69 which included an eagle 3 at the 15th.
Scotland boys’ player McPhee - he will represent Scotland in next week's R&A Junior Open at Hesketh - was a model of consistency, with four birdies in his two halves of 34, whilst Austria’s Matthias Kauffman heads the continental contingent on one under par.
Local lad Chris Low, who plays at the Tantallon club just along the coast from the host venue, recovered superbly from a quadruple bogey 8 on the 8th hole to record a level par 70. After racing to three under par through four holes, the 15-year old from North Berwick dropped to two-over par at the turn, but came home in 33 to finish level par and in a tie for sixth, alongside Deeside’s Jack Scott, a recent call-up to the European Young Masters team.
Galashiels’ Simon Fairbairn had three birdies in his excellent back nine to finish inside the top ten on day one with a 71, alongside Glasgow’s David Gallagher, Brora’s David Stewart and Bathgate’s Ryan Boyle.
Defending champion Ian Redford teed off in the last group but was finding the going tough on his opening nine. He finished on four-over-par 74.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 70. CSS 70
65 M Ishaq (Bondhay).
67 B Taylor (Walton Heath).
68 P McPhee (King James VI).
69 J Lynch (Falkirk), M Kaufmann (Austria).
70 C Low (Tantallon), J Scott (Deeside), S Gibson (Southerness).
71 S Fairburn (Galashiles), H Casey (Enfield), D Gallagher (Glasgow), C Moore (West Essex), R Boyle (Bathgate), C Stewart (Brora), J Arthur (Milnathort), J Rhind (Uphall).
72 T Rowland (Slaley Hall), R Jack (Dumfries & Galloway), W Chambers (Mid-Herts), W Rennie (Northern), R Clarke (Moray), J Henry (Clydebank & Dist), J Sullivan (Stock Brook), S Connor (Ralston).
73 J Smith (Bowood), L McAlpine (Invergordon), J Fernandes (Enfield), M Smith (Troon Welbeck), G Munsey (Frilford Heath), N Colbeck (Cleckheaton & Dist), S Wightman (Powfoot), C O'Neil (Pollok).
74 D Edwads (Elgin), M Bacigalupo (Longniddry), E Mackay (Torphin Hill), R Gillan (Torrance House), E Wilson (Berwick upon Tweed), I Redford (King James VI).
75 J Wright (Forres), J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), E Bradley (Mount Ellen), A Scrimshaw (Prudhoe), G Forrest (Craigielaw), P Horsting (Royal Cinque Ports), F Thain (West Linton), G Champion (Truro), F Smith (Paisley).
76 A Wiseman (Fraserburgh), R Cardwell (Long Sutton), E Paterson (Bruntsfield Links), P Gordon (Paisley), G Chalmers (Dollar), S Thistleton (Hilton Park), J Burrows (Pitlochry), S MacNeil (Inchmarlo), N Beattie (St Andrews), J McLaughlin (Greenock), N Ward (Redbourn),
R Storrier (Downfield), E Scott (St Andrews), J Thorburn (Forrester Park).
77 R Mitchell (Downfield), C Moore (Falkirk Tryst), I Watson (St Andrews), C Aubrey (Caversham Heath), T Hogarth (Dollar), S Smith (Deeside), P Rutherford (Forest Hill), G Meechan (Dullatur), L Johnson (Pines), C Norman (Dullatur), N Barnes (Deeside), A Tulleth (St Andrews), T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar).
78 G Marchbank (Thornhill), A Cunningham (Ranfurly Castle), T Heggarty (Royal Liverpool), F McNeill (Eastwood), M McLennan (Greenock Whinhill), L Chambers (Cardross), J Spencer (Vale Royal Millennium), P Lemon (Peterhead), R Beattie (Hawick), G Ramsay (Bathgate).
79 J Gallagher (Crow Wood), J Douglas (Lochgelly), J Thomson (Torrance House), S Nicoll (Carnoustie), A Carrell (Peterculter), J Lennon-Joiner (Ellesborough), G Duncan (Shotts), J Alexander (Greenock Whinhill), D Meehan(Rossmore).
Under-16s championship
By ROSS DUNCAN
Scottish Golf Union
Young Englishman Mikhail Ishaq fired a stunning five under par opening round of 65 to take the early clubhouse lead in the First Point USA Scottish Boys Under-16s stroke-play championship at Glen GC in North Berwick today.
The 16-year-old, from Lee Westwood country in Worksop, fired seven birdies in a breath-taking first round to lead countryman Ben Taylor from Walton Heath by two shots as the opening day neared its conclusion.
In glorious conditions at the superbly-prepared East Lothian course, Ishaq birdied the third and followed that up with consecutive birdies at the 7th, 8th and 9th before dropping a shot at the 9th.
Birdies at the 14th and 15th took the Bondhay youngster to five under par and Ishaq bounced back from a bogey at the 17th to birdie the last for an outstanding 65.
Perthshire’s rising star Paul McPhee, fresh from his fourth place finish at last week’s McGregor Trophy, leads the Scottish challenge on two under, one ahead Falkirk’s Jamie Lynch after his opening 69 which included an eagle 3 at the 15th.
Scotland boys’ player McPhee - he will represent Scotland in next week's R&A Junior Open at Hesketh - was a model of consistency, with four birdies in his two halves of 34, whilst Austria’s Matthias Kauffman heads the continental contingent on one under par.
Local lad Chris Low, who plays at the Tantallon club just along the coast from the host venue, recovered superbly from a quadruple bogey 8 on the 8th hole to record a level par 70. After racing to three under par through four holes, the 15-year old from North Berwick dropped to two-over par at the turn, but came home in 33 to finish level par and in a tie for sixth, alongside Deeside’s Jack Scott, a recent call-up to the European Young Masters team.
Galashiels’ Simon Fairbairn had three birdies in his excellent back nine to finish inside the top ten on day one with a 71, alongside Glasgow’s David Gallagher, Brora’s David Stewart and Bathgate’s Ryan Boyle.
Defending champion Ian Redford teed off in the last group but was finding the going tough on his opening nine. He finished on four-over-par 74.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 70. CSS 70
65 M Ishaq (Bondhay).
67 B Taylor (Walton Heath).
68 P McPhee (King James VI).
69 J Lynch (Falkirk), M Kaufmann (Austria).
70 C Low (Tantallon), J Scott (Deeside), S Gibson (Southerness).
71 S Fairburn (Galashiles), H Casey (Enfield), D Gallagher (Glasgow), C Moore (West Essex), R Boyle (Bathgate), C Stewart (Brora), J Arthur (Milnathort), J Rhind (Uphall).
72 T Rowland (Slaley Hall), R Jack (Dumfries & Galloway), W Chambers (Mid-Herts), W Rennie (Northern), R Clarke (Moray), J Henry (Clydebank & Dist), J Sullivan (Stock Brook), S Connor (Ralston).
73 J Smith (Bowood), L McAlpine (Invergordon), J Fernandes (Enfield), M Smith (Troon Welbeck), G Munsey (Frilford Heath), N Colbeck (Cleckheaton & Dist), S Wightman (Powfoot), C O'Neil (Pollok).
74 D Edwads (Elgin), M Bacigalupo (Longniddry), E Mackay (Torphin Hill), R Gillan (Torrance House), E Wilson (Berwick upon Tweed), I Redford (King James VI).
75 J Wright (Forres), J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), E Bradley (Mount Ellen), A Scrimshaw (Prudhoe), G Forrest (Craigielaw), P Horsting (Royal Cinque Ports), F Thain (West Linton), G Champion (Truro), F Smith (Paisley).
76 A Wiseman (Fraserburgh), R Cardwell (Long Sutton), E Paterson (Bruntsfield Links), P Gordon (Paisley), G Chalmers (Dollar), S Thistleton (Hilton Park), J Burrows (Pitlochry), S MacNeil (Inchmarlo), N Beattie (St Andrews), J McLaughlin (Greenock), N Ward (Redbourn),
R Storrier (Downfield), E Scott (St Andrews), J Thorburn (Forrester Park).
77 R Mitchell (Downfield), C Moore (Falkirk Tryst), I Watson (St Andrews), C Aubrey (Caversham Heath), T Hogarth (Dollar), S Smith (Deeside), P Rutherford (Forest Hill), G Meechan (Dullatur), L Johnson (Pines), C Norman (Dullatur), N Barnes (Deeside), A Tulleth (St Andrews), T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar).
78 G Marchbank (Thornhill), A Cunningham (Ranfurly Castle), T Heggarty (Royal Liverpool), F McNeill (Eastwood), M McLennan (Greenock Whinhill), L Chambers (Cardross), J Spencer (Vale Royal Millennium), P Lemon (Peterhead), R Beattie (Hawick), G Ramsay (Bathgate).
79 J Gallagher (Crow Wood), J Douglas (Lochgelly), J Thomson (Torrance House), S Nicoll (Carnoustie), A Carrell (Peterculter), J Lennon-Joiner (Ellesborough), G Duncan (Shotts), J Alexander (Greenock Whinhill), D Meehan(Rossmore).