Scottish champion Louise Duncan in US Open action as amateur tops Southern Pines leaderboard

Gemma Dryburgh and Louise Duncan sit eight and ten shots off the lead in the women’s US Open at Southern Pines in North Carolina.

Louise Duncan of Scotland plays a shot on the tenth hole during the first round of the 77th US Women's Open Championship at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club on June 02, 2022 in Southern Pines, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Scottish women’s amateur champion, Duncan, from the University of Stirling took two birdies on her round but finished on 75 tied in 130th place.

Another amateur, Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad, was the early evening leader last night after finishing on six-under par.

Dryburgh, in her first appearance at the event, scored a birdie on the fourth followed by a bogey on the par-three fifth and had two more on the back-nine to end her first round on 73.

Meanwhile in Hamburg, Marcus Armitage produced a brilliant comeback to boost his hopes of a successful title defence in the Porsche European Open.

Armitage, who won his first DP World Tour title in Hamburg last year, was three over par after the first 10 holes of his opening round at Green Eagle Golf Courses, but played the remaining eight in five under to card a two-under-par 70.

That left the 34-year-old Yorkshireman just three off the lead held by China's Li Haotong and Sweden's Joakim Lagergren, with Victor Perez - winner of the Dutch Open on Sunday - part of a large group on three under.

"My first round as the defending champion was a little ropey to start with," Armitage said. "I just didn't quite have my swing but I stuck in. I made a few crucial putts when I needed to and I caught fire near the end."

World number 41 Tommy Fleetwood, the highest ranked player in the field, carded an opening 75 which included a triple-bogey six on the 17th.