Amateurs make their presence felt in Aberdeen

TAKE away the tops bearing Scottish Golf Union logos and it was difficult to tell the professionals and amateurs apart on the opening day of the Aberdeen Northern Open. Eight players shot four-under-par 66s to share the lead at Meldrum House and two of them, Ross Kellett and Greg Paterson, are among the amateurs who've been handed invites this week.

With David Law, last year's double Scottish champion, just a shot off the pace, Scott Larkin and James White also having broken par on the first lap and Michael Stewart and Kris Nicol lying close to the top 20, the Tartan Tour professionals look as though they've got a fight on their hands in an event that has an exciting feel to it.

"We pros will really need to be on the top of our game this week because the full-time amateurs probably play more golf than us and I fully expect one of them to come close to winning this week," said Greig Hutcheon, another of those setting the early pace in the 72-hole event along with Jason McCreadie, Graeme Brown, Chris Doak, Chris Kelly and Kenny Hutton.

Hutcheon, a two-time Tartan Tour No 1 who has three Challenge Tour titles to his name, certainly doesn't play nearly as much these days as the leading amateurs. With a wife and young son to support, the 37-year-old from Banchory is working for an Aberdeen company involved in the oil industry and was in early yesterday morning to paint a drilling tool before turning his thoughts to golf.

"It's a small business that's owned by one of my friends and I look after the tool maintenance," he said after transforming his score by coming home in 30, five-under. "I need a bit financial security and I just can't afford to be playing on the Challenge Tour when I've got a little kiddie. I still enjoy my golf and it would be a shame to have to give it up."

Kellett, who is off to Argentina with Stewart and James Byrne in a few weeks' time to defend Scotland's world amateur title and warmed up for this event by winning the Eisenhower Invitational at Blairgowrie a fortnight ago, had two eagles on his card - holing from 45 feet at the fifth and then, at the 16th, from half that distance. "These pros are good - a lot of them have played on either the European Tour or Challenge Tour - but I don't see any reason why one of us amateurs can't do well this week," said the Colville Park player.

Considering this is his first taste of such an environment, Fifer Paterson also had reason to feel happy with his day's work, as did Law even though he came off the course knowing he'd let an opportunity to be out in front on his own slip away over the closing stretch.After starting with three straight birdies, the Hazlehead 19-year-old was six-under with four holes to play but dropped a shot at the 15th before running up a double-bogey 5 at the last, where the damage was caused by his tee shot catching the water. He still beat both his playing partners - David Orr, last year's Scottish PGA champion, signing for a 68 and Craig Lee, the defending champion here, a 70 that included three penalty shots in the last three holes.

McCreadie (2004, 2006) and Doak (2005, 2008) have both won this event twice before and are off to solid starts again, as are Kelly, a prolific winner on the Scottish circuit, and Hutton, the club professional at Downfield.

Taking up where he left off when retaining the Scottish Young Professionals' title at West Lothian last week, David Patrick is also just a shot off the pace and so, too, are Paul McKechine, a former EuroPro Tour No 1, and Tartan Tour stalwart Robert Arnott.

Larkin, who won the Leven Gold Medal this year, and White, a former Scottish Boys' champion, both signed for 68s, two less than Stewart, the Scottish amateur champion, and Nicol, who came within a shot of making the cut in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles at the end of last month.