MORAY FIVE-DAY OPEN SCOREBOARD

John Godward from Cruden Bay, a regular visitor to Moray Golf Club Opens, led the match-play qualifiers with a three-under par aggregate of 138 over the two courses at Lossiemouth.

The easterly breeze was much stronger from lunchtime on Monday and inflicted several casualties as scoring soared in the dry links conditions. 

The qualifying cut fell at 157 Scratch and 152 Handicap. 

Godward recorded birdies at the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 11th and 16th over New Moray but finished 5-7 on the front nine against par of 4-4 (his other bogey came at the 18th) recording a level par 70 on Monday. In his second round over the Old Course he hit all 18 greens in regulation (reaching twl in less than regulation) recording birdies at the 1st, 2nd, 6th in an outward 32 and countered a bogey at the 11th with an excellent birdie at the closing hole to record a 68. 

His qualifying efforts came to no avail as he exited the tournament in the first round of the match-play at the hands of Nick Slater of Nigg Bay GC. 

Ryan Bain of Strathlene, a member at Moray, recorded the best round of the qualifying with a four under par 67 over the Old Course on Tuesday.

Fifteen eagles were recorded in the two opening rounds though none at any of the par 3s but Jeff Wright holed his 2nd shot at the last to break 70, recording a 69 for 143. 

All of last year's match-play winners were eliminated in the qualifying.

Leading Scratch scores: 

(Old Course first;  Moray members unless stated)

138 J Godward (Cruden Bay) 68 70

143 K Godsman 72 71, J Wright  69 74

146 J L Milne 72 74, R Bain 67 79

147 S Matheson 72 75, N Stables 74 73 , M L Macleman 78 69

148 B Moir 75 73, R J Sheils 77 71

150 A Hunter (Williamwood) 76 74

151 G Thomson 74 77, N Slater (Nigg Bay) 74 77, J D Forbes (Inverness) 75 76, B A Caldow 75 76

152 J R Mcleod 71 71, D Leith (Garmouth and Kingston) 76 76 , B Macleman 77 75

153 M Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar) 77 76, K Thomson 76 77

154 I Meggatt 76 78, G C Devine 81 73, E G C Thomson 76 77

155 J Martin 76 79

156 S Ingram 75 81, W Stewart 79 77, I S Geddes 75 81, N Simpson 72 84, M Quilter 75 81, G S Thomson  76 80

157 A W Mair 75 82, E Barras (Loch Ness) 82 75

 

Scratch Section First round

G Thomson bt M Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar) 3 and 2.

D Leith (Garmouth  and Kingston) bt G C Devine 6 and 5.

G S Thomson bt A W Mair 4 and 3.

R Bain bt K Thomson  at 20th.

R J Sheils bt J Wright  at 20th.

K Godsman bt B. Moir 5 and 4.

N Slater (Nigg Bay) bt J Godward (Cruden Bay) 1 hole.

S Matheson bt W Stewart  5 and 3.

J L Milne bt B A Caldow at 19th

E. Barras (Loch Ness) bt J Martin  1 hole

N. Simpson bt M L Macleman 2 and 1.

N Stables bt S A Ingram 2 and 1.

M Quilter bt J R Mcleod 1 hole.

A Hunter (Williamwood) bt E G C Thomson 4 and 2..

I Meggatt bt B. Macleman 3 and 2.

J D Forbes (Inverness) bt I S Geddes at 19th