Golf: Scottish trio off to good start in quest for more SA glory

THREE Scots – James White, Scott Crichton and Paul Shields – are lying just one shot off the lead after the opening round of the Northern Amateur Open, the final event on the SGU squad’s training trip to South Africa.

Bidding to succeed another Scot, David Law, who won the event at the same venue – Randpark – a year ago, the trio carded four-under-par 67s to sit just behind four co-leaders after the first of four stroke-play qualifying rounds.

White, last year’s Scottish No 1, has been upstaged so far on the eight-week trip by fellow Fifers Crichton and Brian Soutar, the latter in particular having got his season off to a flying start with victory in the South African Amateur Championship,

However, the Lundin player and fellow GB&I squad member Shields, who opened the trip with a sensational 61 in the first round of the Gauteng North Open both produced polished first-round performances, as did the ever- improving Crichton.

Soutar was not too despondent with an opening 73, which was matched by Fraser McKenna, the pair sitting one shot ahead of Danny Kay. “I played well enough but it was just one of those days when nothing happened for me,” reported Soutar, who is confident he can still secure one of the 32 spots up for grabs in the match-play phase.

Meanwhile, a trio of Scots – Jamie McLeary, Raymond Russell and Callum Macaulay – were all sitting in a tie for tenth heading into the final round of the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic on the Challenge Tour. McLeary shared the lead with Nick Dougherty at one point in the third round but dropped five shots behind the Englishman after signing for a 73 and total of 214.

“If somebody told me I would be in 10th place going into the last round I would have taken that, it’s just a case of playing well tomorrow and seeing where I finish,” said the 2009 Scottish Challenge winner.