Lawrie helps Murray be aggressive as she sets Craigielaw pace

ADMITTING she'd become more aggressive on the course partly as a consequence of playing golf with former Open champion Paul Lawrie, Laura Murray took her driver out at every opportunity at sun-kissed Craigielaw yesterday and duly earned a share of the lead after the opening qualifying round of the Scottish Ladies' (Close) Amateur Championship.

On a day when some sneaky pin positions ensured no-one was ever going to take the East Lothian course apart despite the perfect conditions, the 21-year-old from Alford in Aberdeenshire shot a level-par 73, a score that was matched shortly afterwards by Rachel Hanlon, an 18-year-old from St Andrews who is playing in the SLGA's flagship event for the first time.

"In addition to competing in the North East Alliance over the winter, I played with Paul at Deeside last week and I have definitely found that playing with men makes you more aggressive – it is awesome," said Murray, a member of Lawrie's Foundation team. "In the past I would have found myself taking a 3-wood or 3-iron off some tees but today I pulled my driver out at every opportunity."

Murray, who heeded the advice of her coach, Kevin Craggs, to wait until the end of this year to try and win a card on the Ladies' European Tour, holed six putts inside ten feet as she made her score with four birdies – all of which came at long holes. "I was really accurate off the tee and played some smart golf," she added.

Hanlon, a golf studies student at Elmwood College in Cupar, used her experience of playing regularly on the Old Course at St Andrews to be the only other player to match par, book-ending her round with birdies at the first and 18th holes. "I hit the ball really well and my short game was also pretty good," said the 2009 Strathtyrum Trophy winner.

Selkirk's Martine Pow, a 45-year-old Scottish selector who lifted the title at nearby Dunbar, arrived back in East Lothian having "found something in my swing" and reaped the reward as she shot a 74, one better than Curtis Cup reserve Kelsey MacDonald, who admitted she needs to work on trying to stay more patient when the bounce of the ball doesn't always go her way.

Megan Briggs, the defending champion, and Louise Kenney, the player she beat in last year's final, should still be among the 32 qualifiers tonight despite opening rounds of 80 and 81 respectively, as should German-based Lauren Taylor, who celebrates her 18th birthday today.

She shot a respectable 79 after only arriving in Scotland at 11pm on Monday due to the latest volcanic ash chaos. "It was after midnight when I got to bed and I was up again just after 6am – I am, shattered now," said Taylor, whose father, Gerry, is the head professional at the Hartl Golf Resort in Bad Griesbach, south-east Germany. "I'm counting this as my practice round and I am sure I can do better in the second round, though these greens are a lot different to what I am used to in Germany."

• The first event of the Tartan Tour's 35,000 Sprint to St Andrews tees-off at Dundonald Links tomorrow with a strong field lining up in the 18-hole shoot-out.

Greig Hutcheon, who leads the domestic circuit's order of merit, former European Tour player Chris Doak and the 1989 European No 1 Ronan Rafferty are all set to compete for a 1000 top prize in Ayrshire.

Former Scottish PGA champions, Chris Kelly, Craig Ronald, Mark Loftus, Colin Gilles and Fraser Mann, are also included in an 84-man field for the first of five 'Sprint' events which are qualifiers for October's grand final at the Duke's course.

• The Scottish Golf Union last night announced that the Dunfermline Building Society will be the official partner of next month's Scottish Boys' Area Team championship at Peebles.

The Dunfermline Building Society previously sponsored the national junior masters series and the latest deal takes it relationship with the SGU into a fourth year.