Golf: Reid hoping to make the rest weep in Northern Open

EDINBURGH-BASED Alan Reid was hoping to be the surprise package in today's final two rounds of the Aberdeen Northern Open at Meldrum House.

The leaderboard at the halfway stage in one of the Tartan Tour's majors was dominated by heavyweights on the Scottish circuit and some of the nation's leading amateurs.

But Reid, the club pro at West Lothian, was also in contention after a second-round 65 and insisted he was feeling no pressure whatsoever heading into the closing 36 holes.

"Chasing the dollar caught up with me when I was playing full-time, hence the reason I took the club job at West Lothian three-and-a-half years ago," said the 36-year-old.

"I'm enjoying that and am playing with a freedom that wasn't there previously."

Reid, a former Scottish Stroke-Play champion, has recovered well after taking a bogey at his opening hole in this week's event.

"That's the only shot I've dropped in the 36 holes," he reported. "It's been pretty solid stuff and Chris Russell, one of my playing partners in the opening two rounds, said my round yesterday was the best holing out he'd ever witnessed.

"I rolled it beautifully and the longest putt I had to hole was from six feet at the second. Over two days, I also haven't short-sided myself at all."

Reid, whose last Tartan Tour success came in the Murrayfield Pro-Am more than a year ago, insisted the prospect of trying to make up three shots on halfway leader Greig Hutcheon over two rounds didn't faze him. "I played two rounds in the one day at The K Club last week in a Ryder Cup-style event between the two buyers' groups, Foremost and TGI," he said. "So bring on two rounds tomorrow."

Also three shots off the pace was Paul McKechnie, the Braid Hills professional who is a former EuroPro Tour No.?1. And, amongst the others stalking leader Hutcheon was former Musselburgh professional Fraser Mann.

He's not enjoyed the best of rookie seasons on the European Senior Tour but a brace of 68s has given Mann a chance of regaining a title he lifted in 2002, the year he also won the Scottish PGA Championship.

Colin Gillies, another of the pros attached to Braid Hills, was on 137, just ahead of David Patrick (138) and Mark Kerr (139). Uphall's Gordon Law also made the cut on 141, as did James McGhee (Turnhouse) and Craig Gordon (Edinburgh Golf Centre) on 142. The only other Lothians players to survive the cut were Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) and Ross Dixon (The Renaissance Club) on 143.