Chris Kelly opens with 63 to lead M and H

Logistics Scottish PGA Championship by three

PGA NEWS RELEASE

Two-time winner Chris Kelly finished with a flourish to take a three-shot lead after the opening round of the weather-hit M and Logistics Scottish PGA Championship at Gleneagles today.

After play on the opening day had been curtailed on the King's Course due to fog, strong winds caused a 45min delay before the first round resumed at the Perthshire resort.

Out in the toughest of the conditions, defending champion Gareth Wright battled his way to a 75 before the clubhouse lead tumbled as the wind decreased as the day wore on.

It was jointly held by Paul Robinson and Paul O'Hara following matching 66s in the middle of the field before Kelly, pictured above, playing in one of the final few matches, birdied five of the last six holes for a stunning seven-under-par 63.

"That's my best round for a long time," said the 40-year-old, who has been based at Stirling since February.

"I was flapping a bit coming down the last as I didn't quite know what to do."

Kelly, the winner in 2003 and 2015, birdied the third and sixth before producing good up and downs at both the seventh and 10th to keep his round going.

He then finished 3-3-4-2-3-4 at the former home of the Bell's Scottish Open to give himself a handy cushion in the Tartan Tour's flagship event.

"It is probably my lowest score here," he added. "It was still blowing a gale on the front nine and by the time it calmed down we were playing downwind.

"There's still a hell of a lot of golf to be played, but I've enjoyed it when I've played this year and hopefully that will continue over to the next two days."

Robinson, a 28-year-old who is attached to Largs, has been quiet since winning the P and H Championship at The Renaissance Club two years ago.

His encouraging effort was illuminated by an eagle-3 at the sixth, where he rolled in a 25-footer before knocking in an even longer one for a birdie at the 10th.

"Today was about keeping a disaster off the card and I managed to do that," said Robinson. "This year has been a bit of a struggle, but the work I have been doing with my new coach, Ian Rae, definitely helped today.

"He came up with me when I played a practice round last Thursday and I benefitted from that, too, in terms of course management."

O'Hara, who lost to an eagle from Wright at the first extra hole in a sudden-death play-off 12 months ago, started his bid to go one better with a bogey-free opening effort.

"I was three-under through 10, which is good in these conditions, before leaving a few putts just short after giving myself some good chances on the way in," said the Northern Open and Titleist and Footjoy PGA Professional Championship winner this year.

The North Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd-attached player added: "All in all, it was pretty solid, though, and it's a good start, which I will definitely take."

Former winner Jason McCreadie opened with a 68, as did Greg McBain, who has come close in the past in this event, with Graham Fox, another ex-champion, sitting sixth on 69.

After the second round on Wednesday, the top 32 and ties will progress to a final round on Thursday, with the event having been cut to 54 holes due to the weather delays.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES
par 70

1 Chris Kelly Stirling GC 63  
T2 Paul Robinson Largs GC 66  
T2 Paul O'Hara N Lanarkshire Leisure 66  
T4 Greg McBain Newmachar GC 68  
T4 Jason McCreadie Largs GC 68  
6 Graham Fox Clydeway Golf 69  
T7 Stephen Gray Lanark GC 70  
T7 Paul Wardell North Berwick GC 70  
T7 Neil Fenwick Dunbar GC 70  
T7 Jonathan Lomas Caprington GC 70  
T7 Greig Hutcheon  Paul Lawrie GC Inchmarlo 70  
T7 Kamran Zeynalov Portlethen GC 70  
T13 Ross Leeds Archerfield Links 71  
T13 Craig Ronald Carluke GC 71  
T13 Cameron Marr Musselburgh GC 71  
T13 Graeme Brown Montrose Links  71  
T13 Lee Vannet Craibstone GC 71  
T13 Ross Munro Duddingston GC 71  
T13 Samuel Binning Mearns Castle GA 71  
T13 Jackson Bell Lanark GC 71  
T21 Steven O'Hara N Lanarkshire Leisure 72  
T21 Robert Arnott Bishopbriggs GR 72  
T21 Jamie Fraser Houston Oaks 72  
T21 Martin Pottinger American Golf 72  
T25 Christopher Currie Caldwell GC 73  
T25 Thomas Higson Gleneagles Hotel 73  
T27 Mark O'Donnell Linlithgow GC 74  
T27 Ross Cameron Saltire Energy 74  
T27 Chris Doak Renaissance Club 74  
T27 Paul McKechnie Braid Hills GR 74  
T27 Ross McConnachie Peterculter GC 74  
T27 Murray Urquhart Nairn GC 74  
T27 Iain Colquhoun Loch Lomond GC 74 

PROJECTED SECOND-ROUND CUT MARK
TO LEADING 30 PLAYERS AND TIES

T34 Gareth Wright West Linton GC 75   
T34 Scott Grant Scotscraig GC 75  
T34 Craig Sutherland Cherry Lodge GC 75  
T34 Keir McNicoll Carnoustie GL 75  
T38 Andrew Jowett Gleneagles Hotel 76  
T38 Kris Nicol Dunes GC 76  
T38 Craig Matheson Falkirk Tryst GC 76  
T38 Gavin Hay Grantown-on-Spey GC 76  
T38 Calum Lawson  Gleneagles Hotel  76  
T38 Andrew Pillans Banchory GC 76  
T38 Neil Colquhoun Merchants of Edinburgh GC 76  
T45 Rory Tinker Piperdam GLR 77  
T45 Ian Graham Crow Wood GC 77  
T45 Marc Owenson Gullane GC 77  
T45 Kenny Hutton Downfield GC 77
T49 James McGhee Swanston New GC 78  
T49 Scott Henderson Kings Links GC 78  
T49 Graeme McDougall Elie Links 78  
T49 Michael Patterson Kilmacolm GC 78  
T49 Craig Goodwin Strathlene GC 78  
T49 Fraser McKenna Caldwell GC 78  
T49 Cameron Farrell Cardross GC 78  
T56 Christopher McMaster Downfield GC 79  
T56 Rodger Clarke Golf DC 79  
T56 Alastair Forrow Whitecraigs GC 79  
T59 Alan Welsh Cathkin Braes GC 80  
T59 Alastair Forsyth Mearns Castle GA 80  
T59 Fraser Mann Carnoustie GL 80  
T59 Ogilvie Robertson Panmure GC 80  
T59 Gareth Hardy Prestwick St Nicholas GC 80  
64 Craig Armstrong Burntisland GC 81  
65 Fraser Malcolm Glen GC 83  
66 Mark Loftus Caldwell GC 86  

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