Gleneagles Scottish professional championship

Hutch and Hay spearhead North challenge
 
Twice winner Greig Hutcheon, with a five-under-par 66, and Nairn Dunbar's Gavin Hay with a 67 spearheaded the North challenge on a day when Paul Lawrie's bid to complete a title treble began with a four-putt double bogey 6 in the £40,000 Gleneagles Scottish professional championship over the King's course at the Perthshire resort.

Hutcheon, playing out of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre, shared the lead overnight with Chris Currie (Caldwell) while Hay is joint third with David Orr (Eastwood), a former winner of the title, and Sam Binning (Mearns Castle).
Hutch had the best inward half of the day - six-under-par 30 with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 17th and an eagle 3 at the 18th. He had a bogey at the 13th.
In his outward half he had birdied the fifth but bogeyed the fourth and sixth.
Hay had a mixed bag of birdies and bogeys in an outward one over par 36 but he got his game together on the way home with birdies at the 10th, 12th, 13th,1 4th and 16th for five-under 31.

Joint leader on 66, Chris Currie turned in one-under, and came back in four-under

"The front nine was a real struggle in the wind but it had dropped unbelievably by the finish," he said

"My game has been solid for the last couple of years. It has gone to another level since I started working with Alan Martin at Buchanan Castle."

Sam Binning, 25-year-old who is attached to Mearns Castle, shot a 67

Like Orr, he was also three-over after six but he had eagles at both the 14th and the 18th as he came home in 31

"The 14th is a special hole for our family as my grandad, Thomas Sneddon, was a member here for 40 years. He died last year and his ashes were scattered at the 14th. My mum, Karen, was caddieing today and she got a bit emotional when I made that eagle."

2012 winner Graham Fox 69 birdied the 15th, 16th (25 feet) and 17th before three-putting the last for a par

"The greens are awfully fast - you have to be sensible on them - so I'm quite happy with that start."

Defending champion Gareth Wright had a par 71 and said:
"I'm disappointed really as I got off to a good start, standing at one-under after four. I then had a bit of a shocker for a few holes, taking a double-bogey at the seventh then bogey at the eighth. I scrambled it thereafter."
2012 winner Graham Fox 69 birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th before three-putting the last for a par
"The greens are awfully fast - you have to be sensible on them - so I'm quite happy with that start.
Paul Lawrie did well to salvage a one-under 70 after a dismal start.
He four-putted the first for a double-bogey 6 from about 25ft range below the hole
Paul had five birdies in all - the second, seventh, 10th, 13th and 18th inhalvges of 36 and 34.
“I four-putted the first and had two three-putts as well on the front nine,” said Lawrie. “From tee to green I struck it really well - the best I’ve hit it for a long time.”

David Orr, 40, now the head pro at Eastwood, was three over par after only five holes before he turned things around, first with an eagle-3 at the sixth h, where he hit a 3-wood for second shot to 20 feet and holed the putt. That  sparked his round. He had six birdies  - at the 8th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th and 18th - thereafter with bogey at the 13th.

Said Orr:

"My mind is elsewhere these days due to my new job at Eastwood, where I started on March 1.

"I've only played 36 holes of competitive golf in the last six months and only hit 300 balls in practice.

"I had little expectations coming into this event but today showed that I've not forgotten how to play"

FIRST-ROUND SCORES
par 71
66 C Currie (Caldwell), G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC)
67 D Orr (Eastwood), S Binning (Mearns Castle), G Hay (Nairn Dunbar)
69 G Fox (Clydeway Golf)
70 P McKechnie (Braid Hills), C Sutherland (Cherry Lodge), C Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey), R Rafferty (Monte Rei), R Arnott (Bishopbriggs), C Farrell (Cardross), K McNicoll (Gullane), P Lawrie (Carnegie Club).
71 J Lomas (Caprington), A Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Alan Duncan (Golf Moray), G Wright (West Linton), F Dunlop (Gleneagles), J McCreadie (Largs), N Fenwick (Dunbar), S Henderson (Kings Links), C Ronald (Carluke), P Robinson (Largs), P Lawrie (Carnegie Club), M Loftus (Mearns Castle).
72 M Kerr (Marriot Dalmahoy), A Good (Gullane), K Hutton (Downfield), G Dingwell (Royal Dornoch), S Williamson (Clydeway Golf), S McAllister (S McAllister Golf), C Robinson (Elie Links), S Gray (Hayston), F Mann (Carnoustie GC), G Brown (Montrose Links), R Dixon (Renaissance)
73 C Kelly (unatt), M Patterson (Kilmacolm), G McBain (Paul Lawrie GC), S Taylor (Bothwell Castle), S Caitlin (unatt).
74 C Everett (Caldwell), S Savage (Dalmuir), M Mackenzie (Edzell), M Huish (North Berwick), P Shields (Kirkhill), Brian Marchbank (unatt), M Burtt (Helensburgh), P Wardell (North Berwick), I Deacon (Loch Lomond)
75 T Mathieson (Murcar Links), M Hillson (Tandridge), C Tierney (Bishopbriggs), I Anderson (Colville Park), G Forrester (St  Andrews GS), A Reid (West Lothian), S Morrison (Tain), C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst).
76 I Taylor (Drumpellier), A Hutchinson (Douglas Park), J Dick (Duddingston), A Mackrell (Playsport Golf), D Wood (Hirsel), J Hopwood (Royal Aberdeen), P Walker (Ballumbie Castle), G Paxton (Ralston), A Cooper (Newmachar), L Gaughan (Bathgate), G Robertson (Airdrie), M Isaacs (Newmachar), G Hardy (Belleisle).
77 S Herald (St Andrews LGA), R Drummond (unatt), F Cromarty (Nairn), L Vannet (Craibstone), J Sharp (Carrick on Loch Lomond), S McLaren (Blairgowrie), R Neill (Drumpellier), D Stein (Ranfurly Castle), C McMaster (Panmure), D Laing (Craigielaw).
78 G Niven (Ping), J Porteous (Craigielaw), A McHardy (Noah's Ark), S Rettie (Callaway), G Cook (Elie Links), D Ramsay (Moray), P Kerr (Hayston), J Clive (Buchanan Castle), G Hillson (Dunbar), T Dingwall (Kemnay)
79 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles), R McConnachie (Peterculter), K Zeynalov (Portlethen), R Tinker (Piperdam)
80 S Spiers (unatt), M Patterson (Cruden Bay), A Jowett (Gleneagles), A McDonald (Dunnikier Park), F Rummins (Canmore), P Edgecombe (Forrester Park).
81 R McIntyre (Whitekirk), A McCandlish (Kingsbarns), K Campbell (Machrihanish), R Gray (American Golf), N Cameron (Blairgowrie), S Smith (Scotscraig)
82 N Scott-Smith (Palacerigg), G Mackay (Melville GR), F Cramb (Crieff), E Macpherson (Auchterarder)
83 Nichola Ferguson (American Golf), P B rookes (Pitreavie), C Adam (Linlithgow), J Bell (Craigmillar Park), I Hannah (Strathclyde Park).
85 C Lawson (Elmwood), S Fay (Royal Dornoch), C Haugh (Cawder).
86 P Wytrazek (Burntisland).
87 S Costello (Strathaven).
88 B Mason (Callaway).
Withdrew: A Crerar (Panmure), J McKinnon (McKinnon Golf Services)
Disqualified: P Malone (Braid Hills)
Retired: C Gordon (Edinburgh GC), A Hogg (Kingsbarns), M Robertson (Balmore).