Four tied for lead after Round 1 of North of 

Scotland Seniors Open at Elgin

REPORT BY GORDON THOMSON

There is a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the North of Scotland Seniors Open (sponsored by McCrea Financial Services) at Elgin after excellent scores of 72 from  Duncan Hamilton (Mortonhall ), John Fraser (Royal Burgess), Robert Smith (Nairn) and Calum Wilson (Ladybank).

Bob Stewart (Tulliallan), who won the Scottish Seniors Championship on this course in 2008, lies one shot back on 73 with a chasing pack of six players on 74, headed by Ronnie Clark (Erskine), the holder and winner of the 2015 Seniors Order of Merit title, and Nick Robson (Meldrum House), winner of the recent Spring Open at Monifieth.

With no fewer than 24 players within four shots of the lead, an exciting day’s play is in prospect tomorrow on a course which is in fine condition and is providing an  excellent test for the high quality field.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES
par 69. SSS 71. CSS 74
72 D Hamilton (Mortonhall), R W Smith (Nairn), J A Fraser (Royal Burgess), C J Wilson (Ladybank).
73 R Stewart (Tulliallan).
74 S Drysdale (Turnhouse), N Robson (Meldrum House), A T Campbell (Murcar Links), R C Clark (Erskine), A Stracey (Denham), S Calder (Uphall).
75 P H Moultrie (Royal Troon), J McManus (Uphall), G Grimmer (Nigg Bay), D Shields (Glenearn).
76 G Bell (Downfield), J Aman (Grangemouth), L Blair (Grangemeouth), R Gray (Rowallan Castle), B Brooks (Meldrum House), I Angus (Duff House Royal), R Craw (Glenbervie), I Brotherston (Dumfries and Co), L Chancellor (Inverness).

77 I Fraser (Dumfries and Co), J R Johnston (Glenbervie), K McArthur (Balbirnie Park), D Taylor (Dunfermline, A Macgregor (Hazlehead), S G Milne (Elgin),G MacDonald (Glenbervie).

78 K Reilly (Silverknowes), M Lindsay (Broughty), L Gordon (Turnhouse), M M Macleman (Moray), G C Barrie (Callander), J Yuille (Royal Burgess), G Murray (Moray).

79 J McArthur (St Andrews New), I Gourlay (Strathaven), J S Macdonald (Dunfermline), J L S Kinloch (Cardross), G A Taylor (Turnhouse), W Barclay (Downfield), K Smith (Dun Whinny).

80 P B Kinloch (Cardross) D Logie (Craigie Hill), T Stafford (Downfield), T McLevy (Blairgowrie), K Ross (Beith). 

81 D Gardner (Broomieknowe), E J Lindsay (Blairgowrie), A Ross (Northumberland), B Inch (Elgin), G J Rodaks (Pitreavie), P Dempsey (Tulliallan), K Harrison (Peebles), A J Hogg (Turnhouse), M J Dean (Moray), B Methven (Royal Aberdeen), C Halcrow (Windyhill), J W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen), J S Sim (Duff House Royal).

82 I Dickson (Lundin), J F Emslie (Royal Aberdeen), W Morton (Dunbar), K Hill (Downfield), 

 S Finnie (Royal Aberdeen).

83 D J Smith (Stirling), D W Nelson (Aboyne), A E Raphael (St Andrews), N McGarva (Kilmacolm), J Paterson (Ranfuly Castle), I Reid (Dumfries and Galloway).

84 B Christie (Comrie), T Anderson (Downfield), T Patterson (Sunningdale), R M Farquhar (Carnoustie), I J Nimmo (Kilspindie), B Halbert (Callander), J W McDonald (Cowglen).

85 W Skene (Deeside),  G B Doig (Southerness), J T Johnston (Northumberland), P D Sinclair (Inverness), P Tomisson (Nairn).

87 I Kerr (Kilmacolm),  A McGregor (Elgin).

88 R Scott (Downfield), A Hogg (Stirling), N Chisholm (Kemnay).

89 S Adam (Skibo).

90 G Abel (Elgin).

91 S C Allan (Inverurie), D Riddell (Glenbervie).

 No return: J Watt (Edzell).