Gemma Dryburgh scrambles to good start in Australian Women's Open

Gemma Dryburgh on her way to a two-under-par 71 in the first round of the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open at Royal Adelaide.

The 26-year-old Aberdonian made five consecutive up-and-down par saves to finish as he opened with a two-under-par 71 at Royal Adelaide.

Dryburgh's effort, which came in the tougher windy afternoon conditions, left her in a tie for 35th as England's Jode Ewart Shadoff set the pace with a 66.

“I scrambled a bit on the back nine, but I’m happy overall with my score,” said who birdied the third, eighth and ninth and dropped her only shot of the day at the fourth.

“Obviously the back nine my chipping was good with all those up and downs and I hit it straight all day off the tee and my putting was solid.”

The majority of the scores under par, including Ewart Shadoff’s bogey-free 66, were carded in the morning as many of the afternoon players struggled to tame a persistent sea breeze in the South Australian capital.

“Hopefully we’ll get a little less wind in the morning and I can take advantage of that,” added Dryburgh, who returned the lowest score in her group ahead of Americans Austin Ernst (one-under) and Kim Kaufman (par).

Ewart Shadoff, a member of Europe's victorious Solheim Cup team at Gleneagles last year, leads by a shot from South Korea’s Inbee Park and Jeongeun Lee.

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Ewen Ferguson and Craig Howie made the best starts among eight Scots in the Dimension Data Pro Am, the final leg of a three-event South African Swing on the Challenge Tour.

Ferguson shots a four-under 68 on Outeniqua Course at Fancourt while Howie signed for a four-under 69 on the Montagu Course at the George venue.

South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout set a blistering pace with an 11-under 61 on The Links, where two-time Open champion Ernie Els had a 64 to sit joint-third.

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Scottish champion George Burns sits handily-placed at the halfway stage in the Portuguese Amateur Championship after opening with rounds of 68-69 for a seven-under total at Montado.

Burns, who signed for five birdies in his second-day effort, lies joint-eighth, two shots off the lead, shared by Spaniard Alvaro Hernandez Cabezuela and Norway's Herman Wibe Sekne.

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Scott Henry made it back-to-back top-10 finishes on the MENA Tour by securing a share of fifth spot behind Frenchman Sebastian Gros in the NEWGIZA Open in Egypt.

Henry signed off with a three-under 69 for a nine-under total, finishing four shots behind Gros as he claimed the $13,500 top prize by two shots from England's David Hague.

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Kevin Duncan sits in the top 10 heading into the final round of the ProGolf Tour's Open Palmeraie in Morocco after opening efforts of 69-68.

He's joint-ninth on six-under, five off the lead, which is held by Frenchman Henry Simpson, with former Scottish Amateur champion Chris Robb also in the top 20 on four-under.

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First-round leader James Wilson (Balmore) finished a disappointing joint-45th in the South African Stroke-Play Championship at Randpark in Johannesburg.

After his blistering 64 in the opening round, Wilson followed back-to-back 74s with a 75 to end on one-under, 24 shots behind home winner Casey Jarvis.

Stuart Easton (Irvine) and Connor Wilson (Castle Park) finished just ahead of their compatriot after closing efforts of 71 and 72 respectively.