Golf: Briggs starts well in bid for varsity grand slam

STRILING’s Eilidh Briggs wasted no time in laying down a marker in her bid to complete an unprecedented ‘grand slam’ as the Scottish Universities Championships got under way in balmy conditions at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth.

Briggs, who has already won the opening three Scottish University Order of Merit events of the 2011-12 season, carded a three-under-par 73 on the New Course to lead by two shots from fellow Stirling scholar Hannah McCook and St Andrews duo Gabrielle MacDonald and Ashley Smith.

The top 12 plus ties after a second stroke-play round today qualify for the match-play in the women’s event, while 48 places are up for grabs in that phase of the men’s tournament.

It looks like being a closely-fought affair, with three shots covering no less than 17 players after the opening round on the New Course. Leading the way, after one-under-par 69s, are Stirling duo David Booth and Darren Timms, as well as Matt Wheeler from St Andrews.

Another Stirling challenger, Kit Holmes, is sitting a shot back alongside Robert Gordons pair Gordon Munro and Don McAndrew, while Aberdeen duo Nick McAndrew and Gavin Bissett, Edinburgh’s Roddy Forgie and James Hendry and Stirling’s Angus Carrick are also still right in the hunt after they all opened with respectable 71s.