aberdeen northern open Reid and Wright day one headliners

After launching his challenge in the Tartan Tour’s Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open at Meldrum House yesterday with a three-under 67, which left him two shots behind early pacesetters Alan Reid and Gareth Wright, the 20-year-old revealed he will be contesting next week’s KLM Open in Holland while Britain & Ireland’s amateurs prepare to go head-to-head with the USA at his home course of Royal Aberdeen.

“I will obviously be supporting the guys and I hope they win, but it would be very hard for me to be there,” admitted Law, who was controversially omitted from Nigel Edwards’ 10-man side. “It will be nice to get out of Aberdeen the week of it.

Paul Lawrie tried to get me an invitation to the Johnnie Walker last week and was talking to someone from the management company I’m going to sign with and they still had an amateur invitation for the KLM. It’s a great field and it will be a great springboard for the European Tour’s qualifying school the following week.”

The Aberdonian remains the first reserve for the GB&I squad and added: “Hopefully no one falls ill or anything.” While Law, who illuminated his card with a birdie putt of 40-feet on the 13th and an eight-footer for an eagle-two on the driveable 17th, was one of a number of players from the unpaid ranks who made their presence felt on the leaderboard, it was still the pro pairing of Reid and Wright, a newspaper-friendly duo if ever there was one, who got their noses in front.

Ayrshireman Reid, himself a highly impressive amateur campaigner during the early 1990s, has little time for competitive action these days due that nuisance called work, but the West Lothian head pro still cobbled together an impressive 65 that was aided by a simple approach to his putting

“I just had a look at the hole, had one practice stroke and hit it,” said Reid, who eagled the 17th. “I’ve no form really as I’m just working and taking a salary so this is probably my best round since I had a 65 in last year’s Northern Open.”

Edinburgh-based Welshman Wright, runner-up in last year’s Scottish PGA Championship, joined Reid at the summit with a five-under card that was burnished by a 25-foot putt for eagle on 17.

Glenbervie amateur Graeme Robertson, fresh from winning his first SGU order of merit title in the South East District Open at the weekend, marked his debut in a pro event with a 66 to share third while Walker Cup recruit James Byrne, who tied for 26th in the Johnnie Walker Championship on Sunday, birdied his last three holes in a 67 to finish one ahead of playing partner, and defending champion, Greig Hutcheon.

Host club member Callum Trahan, playing in the third from last group, was all set to steal the lead late on but racked up a triple-bogey six on the 18th and slithered back into the log jam on 67.