9am Round-Up: Scots sitting third in France

Craigielaw's Grant Forrest opened with a three-under-par 68 at Chantilly

Helped by a three-under-par 68 from Forrest, the Scots ended the opening round at Chantilly sitting in third spot in the battle to make the top eight for the match-play stage.

Nairn teenager Sandy Scott and Peebles player Craig Howie backed up the Scottish No 1 with a 70 and 71 respectively.

Denmark are the pacesetters on 355, closely followed by both Germany (356) then Scotland (357).

Ireland, runaway winners of the European Nations Cup in Spain earlier this year, headed into the second and final stroke-play round with work to do, sitting 10th on 365.

Scotland ended day one in the same position in the boys’ event in Austria, where the Czech Republic were the surprise pacesetters.

Eric McIntosh, the Scottish Boys’ champion from Bruntsfield Links, was the top tartan performer at Atzebrugg with a one-under 71, two better than Jamie Stewart.

On 369, the Scots are eight shots behind the Czech Republic, with Italy sitting second on 364.

Elsewhere, Scotland were sitting just outside the all-important top eight in both the women’s and girls’ tournaments in Iceland and Norway respectively. The woman are ninth at Oddur while the girls lie 10th in Oslo.

Eilidh Briggs and Connie Jaffrey were the best performers in Iceland with matching one-over 72s while Louise Duncan and Hazel McGarvie both signed for level-par 72s in Norway.

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Jordan McColl and Louis Gaughan lead the home challenge after the first round of the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters at Montrose Golf Links.

On a day when Englishman Luke Johnston set the pace with a seven-under-par 64, McColl, a member of the Kingsbarns Links Academy, signed for six birdes in his 66 to sit joint-fourth.

Bathgate man Gaughan matched that effort with a flawless performance as the pair finished the opening circuit a shot ahead of two compatriots, Braid Hills Golf Centre pro Paul McKechnie and the unattached Jonathan Mullaney.

McKechnie, a winner on the third-tier circuit at Lossiemouth in 2013, started with a bogey before bouncing back with five birdies while Mullaney was six-under before dropping two shots in the last three holes.

Johnston’s eye-catching effort earned the King’s Lynn Golf Club player a one-shot advantage over three fellow Englishmen in Mark Ramsdale, Max Penny and Greg Payne.

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Three home players - Jake Edgcombe (Baberton), Alex Simpson (Strathmore) and Lewis Irvine (Kirkhill) - occupied top-10 spots after the first round of the Global Golf Post Scottish Boys’ Under-16 Open at West Lothian.

They all carded one-over-par 72s to sit joint-ninth on a day when six players broke par, led by French youngster Thomas Boulanger with a 68.