McKECHNIE LEADS TARTAN ARMY 

WITH A 68 ON EUROPRO TOUR DAY 1

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Braid Hills' Paul McKechnie headed the "Tartan Army" of 19 competitors by birdieing four of the last five holes for a four-under-par 68 and joint third place at the end of the opening day of the PGA EuroPro Tour's first competition of the 2016 season at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire.

McKechnie, pictured,  had six birdies in all and is two strokes behind the English pacemaker, Simon Lilly and one behind second-placed Alex Wrigley, also an Englishman.

Other Scots who broke par were Michael Stewart with a 69 for joint 12th place, Bradley Neil, a 70 for joint 22nd place and Zack Saltman, a 71 for a share of 35th position.

Brother Elliot Saltman and John Henry are bracketed on 72 in joint 49th place.
Craig Lawrie - and at least half the Scottish contingent - will know as they tee it up in the second round that they will need a sub-par score to have a chance of making the leading 50 and ties who will advance to Friday's third and final round. 

PGA EUROPRO TOUR

Frilford Heath GC

LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 72

66 S Lilly (Eng)

67 A Wrigley (Eng)

SCOTS' SCORES

68 P McKechnie (T3)

69 M Stewart (T12)

70 B Neil (T22)

71 Z Saltman (T35)

72 E Saltman, J Henry (T49)

73 J Hendrick, N Fenwick, C O'Neil (T76).

74 C Lawrie, N Henderson, L Gaughan, J McColl (T95).

75 L Saltman, S Drummond (T118)

76 C Macaulay (T136)

77 K McAlpine (T146)

78 F Moore (T154)

80 S Borrowman (T161)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS

CLICK HERE