9am Round-Up: Paul Lawrie to take over Inchmarlo golf centre

The plan is give the new addition the same level of upgrade carried out by the 1999 Open champion and his fellow directors at the existing Paul Lawrie Golf Centre outside Aberdeen.

“We are excited about the potential for the (22-bay range) range and (nine-hole) course at Inchmarlo,” said Lawrie of a 1 May takeover. “It’s a place I know well, having spent many hours here in the past working on my game. The view from the range is beautiful so it’s just a great place to spend time and the course is an excellent test with lots of character.”

Lawrie and his directors had already shown their commitment to the existing centre by spending money to repair it after it was badly damaged by the River Dee flooding.

***

A confident Paul Doherty will return to the scene of his maiden MENA Golf Tour victory, hoping for another strong run when he headlines the field at the Royal Golf Mohammedia Open by HLO, starting tomorrow in Mohammedia on the outskirts of the Moroccan port city of Casablanca.

The former Scottish Boys’ champion shot an impressive 13-under total to win last year’s event by two shots, the success providing the springboard for his creditable third-place finish on the season-ending Order of Merit standings and earning him a spot in the 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Playing in his first European Tour event, Doherty may have missed the cut, but returned home richer in experience that, he believes, will stand him in good stead for the future.

“My game is in better shape than last year. I am striking the ball better. Playing alongside some of the biggest names in golf at the Classic was a great learning curve for me and allowed me to better my course management skills,” said the 31-year-old.

“I have great memories of Mohammedia and look forward to getting back to a golf course where I won my first major professional title. It’s fun playing on the course there because it is always in excellent condition,” added Doherty, who turned professional in 2006.

The defending champion will join 2015 MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit winner Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, Sweden’s Per Barth and the English duo of Jake Shepherd and Scott Campbell among other winners on the tour as entries to the Royal Golf Mohammedia Open are fast picking up pace.

Also included in the field is Grantown-on-Spey’s Duncan Stewart, who finished second in the inaugural MENA Golf Tour Qualifying School in Spain in February.

***

Cawder’s Stewart Cook made a promising start in his bid to add the Links Golf Cup in East Lothian to his success in the Ayrshire equivalent last September.

His opening haul in the 72-hole Stableford event of 38 points on Gullane No 2 was bettered officially by only one player, Hessle’s Derrick Pettit.

That’s because the 41 points amassed by Leven Thistle’s Peter Berwick didn’t count as his handicap recently lapsed so he is just playing socially.

David Stitt (Wokefield Park), Paul Nightingale (Clitheroe) and Pat Kenny (Copt Heath) are all alongside Cook in joint-second heading to North Berwick today for the second round.,

The Ever Hopeful Team lead the team competition by 12 points from Terriers 1 with 130 points.