Weather story of day one at the Scottish Open Amateur
(Scottish Golf Union Photo)
EAST LOTHIAN, Scotland (May 27, 2016) - Grant
Forrest leads a cosmopolitan leaderboard at Gullane
following day one of the Carrick Neill Scottish Open
Stroke Play Championship, with play unable to be
completed due to a lunchtime weather delay.
On a dreary day in East Lothian, with the first
round
curtailed for over two-and-a-half hours due to poor
visibility in the mist, local lad Forrest lived up to his
top-
ranked status with a five-under-par 66.
Walker Cup winner Forrest, who plays out of the
nearby Craigielaw club, is the leading player in the
144-
man field at world amateur-ranked 28 and carded
seven
birdies and an eagle in his topsy-turvy round to hit the
front late in the day.
Peebles’ Craig Howie, fresh from a second place
finish in the equivalent Welsh event, looked set to lead
after the former Scottish Boys champion posted a 67,
only for Forrest to edge ahead in the 72-hole event
with
his score recorded shortly after 8:30 p.m.
A five-strong group of players sit on thee-under
par, all from different countries, as a global field savor
the test around Gullane No 1, last year’s Aberdeen
Asset Management Scottish Open venue.
England’s William Enefer, Charlie Dann from
Australia, Pierre Junior Verlaar (Netherlands) and
Welsh
pair Adam Wilson and Owen Edwards are all sitting in a
share of third spot.
Australian Amateur champion Connor Syme is
well-
placed after a 70, achieved in the hardest rainy
conditions at the start of the day, and he explained the
challenge.
The Drumoig player said: “It was brutal this
morning. It was really misty and it was the rain that
gets you soaked. It was a grind from the start.
“But the greens are immaculate and I felt there
was
a score out there as there are birdies chances. I hit a
drive and pitching wedge for eagle into the par-5 12th
such was the wind, but on another par-5 I couldn’t get
up in two into the wind.”
Nairn teenager Sandy Scott is among a nine-player
group on two under par, with a number of first rounds
to be completed on Saturday morning.
ABOUT THE
Scottish Open Amateur Stroke Play
The Scottish Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play
Championship is open to Male Amateur
Golfers
of
all Nationalities. 72-hole stroke play
championship.
View Complete Tournament Information