O'HARA LEADS WITH A 67 AT NEWMACHAR

Paul O'Hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure) has a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Tartan Tour's 36-hole Order of Merit Challenge at Newmachar Golf Club.

O'Hara started inauspiciously with a double bogey 6 but he soon get into his money-making stride with birdies at the third and seventh plus an eagle 3 at the par-5 eighth. Turning in two-under 34, O'Hara finished the day with a five-under 67, tanks to birdies at the 13th, 14th and 18th in an inward half of 33.

His nearest challenger is Alastair Forsyth (Mearns Castle) who had six birdies and two bogeys in a 69.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES

par 72

67 P O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure)

68 A Forsyth (Mearns Castle).

69 G McBain (Newmachar), C West (Scotscraig), P McKechnie (Braid Hills), R Leeds (Archerfield Links), G Wright (West Linton).

70 S Henderson (Kings Links), G Fox (Clydeway Golf), J McLeary (Deer Park), S O'Hara (N Lanarkshire Leisure), Z Saltman (Winterfield). 

71 A Stuart (Paul Lawrie GC), G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC), C Currie (Erskine), N Fenwick (Dunbar), S Gray (Lanark),G Hardy (Prestwick St Nicholas), A Welsh (Cathkin Braes).

72 P McKenna (Portlethen), K Nicol (Dunes), C Gaughan (Bathgate).

73 F Clarke (Kings Links), K Zeynalov (Portlethen), G McDougall (Elie Links) R Clarke (Golf Dedication Centre) I Graham (Crow Wood), R Munro (Duddingston).

74 T Higson (Gleneagles), M Cunningham (Gullane), C McMaster (Downfield).

75 S Binning (Mearns Castle), F Mann (unatt), C Marr (Musselburgh), M Owenson (Gullane), M Patterson (Williamwood), R McConnachie (Peterculter).

76 J Dick (Duddingston), G Hay (Mearns Castle).

77 A Hutchison (Douglas Park), C Mathieson (Falkirk Tryst), P McGhee (Royal Burgess).

78 S Rose (Fairmont St Andrews), C Nairn (Prestwick St Nicholas).

79 I Colquhoun (Loch Lomond).

80 C Curran (Bathgate)

81 S Morrison (Tain), F McKenna (Caldwell), A O'Donnell (Largs).

82 J Treasurer (Loch Ness)

83 B Munro (Elgin).

84 J Lamb (Gleneagles).

85 N Cameron (Blairgowrie).

91 M Fitzgerald (Gleneagles).