9am Round-Up: Scots duo close to cut line in California

Catriona Matthew opened with a one-over-par 73 in the US Women's open at CordeValle. Picture: Getty Images

Matthew is just above that line following a one-over-par 73 that included back-to-back bogeys at the 10th and 11th before the Scottish No 1 got one of those shots back at the 17th.

But debutant Pretswell heads into her second round just outside the expected cut-off mark after a 75 in which she was going along nicely at one-under before dropping four shots in four holes.

Korean Mirim Lee leads by three shots after carding an eight-under 64 in the better morning conditions in San Martin, where world No 1 Lydia Ko struggled to a 73.

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Hoping for the same 100 per cent success they enjoyed in the morning session in yesterday’s 5.5-1.5 win over Spain, Scotland sent out the same foursomes pairings against Italy in the semi-finals of the European Men’s Team Championship in France.

Double winners in the victory over the Spaniards, Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest and Bob MacIntyre from Glencruitten were up against Guido Migliozzi and Luca Cianchetti in the top match.

Drumoig’s Connor Syme and Craig Howie from Peebles, meanwhile, had Federico Zuchetti and Lorenzo Scalise standing between them and a second victory for the defending champions in the alternate shot format.

Two comfortable wins - Forrest and MacIntyre triumped 4&3 while Syme and Howie were 5&4 victors at the back - gave the Scots the perfect start against the Spaniards and they quickly secured their last-four spot as Forrest and MacIntyre won the top two singles encounters.

Forrest battled to a 2&1 win over Javier Sainz before Scottish champion MacIntyre maintained his recent impressive form with a 4&3 triumph over Manuel Elvira. The remaining matches were declared halves.

The Scots have now qualified for the semi-finals in this event on four consecutive occasions.

Elsewhere, Scotland suffered a 4.5-2.5 defeat to Denmark in the boys’ equivalent in Austria.

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Four Scots finished in the top 10 after a low-scoring last day in the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters at Montrose Golf Links.

Englishman Billy Hemstock led the birdie blitz by carding a 10-under-par 61 to secure his fourth title on the third-tier circuit.

Giving him a 16-under-par total, the Teignmouth man finished two shots clear of Braid Hills Golf Centre pro Paul McKechnie after he closed with an equally spectacular 63.

McKechnie, a winner on the same circuit at Lossiemouth three years ago, earned £6,000 for this effort, having closed with a flawless eight-birdie salvo.

Dunbar’s Neil Fenwick finished fourth after a closing 65 while Ryan Campbell (Falkirk) and Conor O’Neil (Mearns Castle Golf Academy) claimed a share of eighth spot.

The circuit now moves on to The Carrick on Loch Lomond for next week’s Motocaddy Masters.

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Helped by a 65 in his third round, French challenger Aymeric Laussot won the Global Golf Post Scottish Boys’ U16 Open Championship at West Lothian.

With a seven-under-par total of 277, he finished two shots ahead of Markopolo Fullepp from New Zealand and England’s Barclay Brown.

Kirkhill’s Lewis Irvine finished as the top Scot in seventh on 284.