Ross Bell seeks to ring up biggest win

Published on 03/06/2012 00:56

Ross Bell of Downfield will chase his biggest-ever title today after opening up a slender one-shot lead in the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play Championship.

On a gusty day at Kilmarnock Barassie, Bell handled the conditions superbly to post an eight-under-par halfway total of 138 thanks to a 70.

An eagle on the par-5 eighth was the highlight of his second round and with 36 holes to negotiate today, Bell said: “I’m pleased to be where I am. I didn’t know any of the other scores until I came in as I’ve just been trying to play my own game. There are a lot of good international players here but I’ll just try to plug away and hope that it’s good enough.”

Bell has a one-stroke advantage over Lionel Weber, a 21-year-old from Riedisheim in north-east France, who won the French Amateur Stroke Play Championship last weekend.

He thrust himself into contention with four birdies in his last seven holes yesterday.

Five players lurk on six-under-par, including Haydn Porteous. After his sparkling opening 65, he was 10 shots worse off in the tougher weather, but the teenage South African Stroke Play champion is still very much in the mix.

So too is SGU National Men’s Squad player Paul Shields (Kirkhill). The 21-year-old, joint-winner of the South African Northern Amateur Open in the spring and third in this event last year, is also on 140 after surging through the field with a flawless best-of-the-day 67. He said: “I kept the bogeys off the card and, all and all, it was a solid performance.”