Borrowman new Scottish upstart in Tour qualifying

FOR the second Friday running, a Scottish amateur is threatening to upstage the professionals as the European Tour Qualifying School first stage event reaches its conclusion in the Borders today.

Elliot Saltman: Eight birdies propelled him to eighth place. Picture: Robert Perry

A week after Kirkhill’s Craig Ross won on the PGA EuroPro Tour at Mar Hall, Scott Borrowman from Dollar is the man making his presence felt on this occasion in a field that is made up predominantly of players from the paid ranks at The Roxburghe.

Winner of the Scottish Champion of Champions at Leven for the last two years, Borrowman shot a third-round 65 at the Kelso venue.

That moved him into a joint-lead with Dunbar’s Neil Fenwick on 12-under-par.

The pair have a three-shot cushion on two English players, last year’s runner-up in the same event Jamie Moul and another amateur, Mark Young.

Borrowman bagged nine birdies, four of which came in a flawless back nine of 32, as he stepped up his challenge to progress in style to the second stage in Spain later in the year.

Fenwick, the overnight leader, had four birdies in a 70 as he stayed on course to progress comfortably, but former Walker Cup man Moul is now a real danger in the battle for top spot after a 69.

So, too, is Garrick Porteous, last year’s Amateur champion, after the Bamburgh man moved into joint-fifth after a 69. Also on eight-under is Kirkhill’s Paul Shields (69).

The day’s biggest move was made by Elliot Saltman, who bounced back from a first-hole bogey to card eight birdies in a 65 that catapulted him into eighth on seven-under.

His younger brother, Lloyd, is a shot behind after a second successive 73.

The top 17 and ties progress, with two other home hopefuls – Philip McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Dunbar amateur Zander Culverwell – safe at the moment on four-under.

The race is already over for another year, however, for James Byrne as the former Walker Cup player failed to survive the 54-hole cut.

There was an early exit, too, for Paul Lawrie’s son, Craig, as well as John Singleton, the Wallasey factory worker who qualified for this year’s Open Championship.