TOMATIN SINGLE MALT 54-HOLE PRO-AM AT THREE LINKS

NEIL FENWICK GETS OFF TO A FLYER 

WITH A  63 - DESPITE THE WIND - AT ROYAL DORNOCH

Neil Fenwick, eight birdies, one bogey at Royal Dornoch. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Neil Fenwick stole a march on his rivals with a brilliant round of seven-under-par 63 over the world-ranked Royal Dornoch links in the first round of the Tomatin Single Malt 54-hole pro-am.

PGA in Scotland staffer Glen McPhee said: "It was blowing a hooley so that was some round Neil had."
The 26-year-old Dunbar tour pro plundered birdies galore. He had six of them in a row from the fourth for an outward half of only 29.

Fenwick's only bogey came at the 14th but he boosted his bag of birdies to eight with gains at the 15th and 16th in an inward 34.

It is not a Royal Dornoch course record. Stephen Gray (Hayston), winner of the "Tomatin" in 2012 and 2013, holds that honour with a 62, achieved a year or two back.

Gray finished late in the day with a par 70, which included a pair of 2s, at Royal Dornoch where Greg McBain (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), winner of the recent Paul Lawrie Invitational at Deeside, is Fenwick's closest rivals on the 69 mark.

The three-round tournament is being played over three great links courses in the North.

Gavin Hay (Nairn Dunbar), who lost the Paul Lawrie Invitational play-off to McBain, and Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf), share the lead on three-under-par 68 at Nairn where pre-tournament favourite Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) ran up a double bogey  6 at the second in compiling a 70.

At Castle Stuart, Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) led the way with a one-under--par 71, birdieing the 18th to finish the day one ahead of Lloyd Saltman (Archerfield) and Murray Urquhart (Spey Valley) at this venue.

There are 16 pros with amateur teams at each venue. They will rotate round the three courses.

NAIRN
Par 71
68 G Hay (Nairn Dunbar), P O'Hara (Clydeway Golf)
69 D Orr (Mearns Castle), S Henderson (Kings Links)
70 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC)
71 S Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), J Lomas (Caprington).
72 K Hutton (Downfield, C Ronald (Carluke)
73 W De Vries (unatt), J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC)
75 J Martin (unatt), G Forbes (Murcar Links)
78 R Harrower (Boat of Garten).

CASTLE STUART
Par 72
71 G Fox (Clydeway Golf)
72 L Saltman (Archerfield Links), M Urquhart (Spey Valley)
73 C Elliott (Haggs Castle), N Walton (Glasgow), M Isaacs (Newmachar).
76 N Lythgoe (Royal Norwich)
77 G Shoesmith (Westhill), A Scrimshaw (Close House)
79 R King (Carrick on Loch Lomond), F Cromarty (Nairn), G Nethercott (Deeside)
81 C Everett (Caldwell), P Cairns (unatt)
82 T Dingwall (Kemnay, I Colquhoun (Loch Lomond)

ROYAL DORNOCH
Par 70
63 N Fenwick (Dunbar)
69 G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC)
70 G Dingwall (Royal Dornoch), S Gray (Hayston).
71 S Morrison (Tain), G Brown (Montrose Links), R Arnott
 (Bishopbriggs), C Currie (Caldwell)
73 M Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy)
74 G Wright (West Linton), B McColl (Scotland for Golf).
75 P Wardell (Whitekirk)
76 B  Davidson (River Oaks, Texas)
80 S Mitchell (Golf at Goodwood)
84 S Minuto (unatt)
90 D Thomson (Carnegie Club)