SCOTLAND were lying seventh at the end of the first qualifying round of the European Boys Team Championship in poor weather at Gullane yesterday.
The Scots cannot afford many more mistakes as only the leading eight of the 18 competing countries at the end of today's second round will qualify for the championship flight of the match-play stages.
Graham Gordon from Newmachar, first off the tee at 7.30am, was the Scots' lowest scorer with a battling seven-over-par 78 in a high wind and over a course, where thigh-high rough meant a ball lost or at least a shot dropped for every fairway missed.
Later in the day, the conditions became even more unpleasant and one threesome took 6hr 5min to get round in a combined score of 48 over par 261.
When the wind dropped and the rain stopped, the standard of scoring improved appreciably with Ireland's Justin Kehoe, from Birr in County Offaly, the first to break par with a 70.
Then, in the last trio to finish, Matthew Hearne, from Milford Haven, returned a brilliant two-under-par 69 to hoist Wales into the No.1 position on 378 - three shots ahead of Ireland with defending champions Spain lying third on 389. First qualifying round scores:
378 - Wales (M Hearne 69, G Edwards 72, I Campbell 75, R Narduzzo 79, T Dykes 83. Non-counting: G Bennett 92).
381 - Ireland (J Kehoe 70, D Jones 76, R Symes 77, M Owens 79, S McTernan 79. Non-counting: M McDermot 82).
389 - Spain (C Corral 74, D Quiros 77, C Gonzalo 79, B Sopranis 79, R Vera 80. Non-counting: P Ballesteros 83).
390 - England (N Dougherty 74, A Frayne 77, J Elson 79, T Hilton 80, D Porter 80. Non-counting: D Griffiths 80).
397 - Italy (R Paolillo 76, C Lanza 77, M Secci 80, E Mollnari 81, S Reale 83. Non-counting: A Zanini 90).
398 - Austria (K Mayr 77, Toni Ortner 80, Thomas Ortner 80, C Gunzer 80, N Kirchner 81. Non-counting: C Gassaver-Fleissner 86).
399 - Scotland (G Gordon 78, S Rennie 79, G Holland 79, C Campbell 81, S O'Hara 82. Non-counting: J MacDougall 85).
Other totals 401 - France; 405 - Sweden; 409 - Finland; 410 - Netherlands; 411 - Germany; 413 - Denmark; 415 - Belgium; 417 - Norway; 418 - Portugal; 420 - Iceland; 422 - Switzerland
Leading individual:
69 - M Hearne (Wales). 70 - J Kehoe (Ireland). 72 - G Edwards (Wales). 74 - N Dougherty (England), C Schunck (Germany), C Corral (Spain). 75 - I Campbell (Wales), M Korhonen (Finland). 76 - D Jones (Ireland), R Paolillo (Italy). 77 - K Mayr (Austria), C Lanza (Italy), D Quiros (Spain), M Jorgensen (Denmark), R Symes (Ireland). 78 - G Gordon (Scotland), E Galera (France), A Hofvander (Sweden), A Hiltunen (Finland), A Kareliussen (Norway), L Jonansson (Sweden).
q SCOTLAND were lying in sixth place at the end of the first qualifying round in the European Junior Women's Championship at Oslo Golf Club, Norway, yesterday
Laura Moffat from West Kilbride, was the Scots' lowest scorer with a solid round of 72. Leading scores:
368 - England (R Hudson 72, K Fisher 73, S McKevitt 74, C Court 74. Non-counting: S Heath 84); 371 - Spain. 375 - Sweden, Italy; 377 - France; 382 - Scotland (L Moffat 72, P Mackay 75, L mackay 76, V Laing 79, A Walker 80. Non-counting: L Morton 85). 386 - Denmark. 388 - Gremany.
q TITLE-holder Caroline Dunbar shot three birdies in the first four holes yesterday for a 76, the best round of the two days qualifying in the women's Highland amateur tournament at Pitlochry.
Her aggregate of 158 was equalled by Robina Gilbertson, the 1993 tournament winner, and qualifying leader was Monifieth's Lynne Fotheringham. Qualifying totals with yesterday's scores:
156 - L Fotheringham (Monifieth) 77; 158 - C Dunbar (Aberfeldy) 76; R Gilbertson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) 79; 160 - J Yellowlees (Murrayshall) 80; 162 - A Burden (Cambuslang) 84; L Colman (Peterhead) 81; 163 - P Simpson (Lundin Ladies) 83; R Dee (Kingsknowe) 81; 164 - L Fraser (Kingsknowe) 80; 165 - F Farquharson (King James VI) 82; T Mawle (Buckingham) 81; 166 - C Borthwick (King James VI) 82; A Mawhood (Tulliallan) 84; 167 - M Wilson (Stranraer) 80; 168 - F Lauder (Murrayshall) 82; 169 - L Middleton (Newport On Ythan) 84 (best second round).
q BRECHIN'S Jane Tough won the North of Scotland Women's Championship for the first time over the Carnoustie championship links yesterday when beating Jennifer Milne (Elgin) at the nineteenth to claim the Gifford Trophy. Results:
Scratch, Gifford Trophy, semi-finals - J Tough (Brechin) beat L Fenton (Abertay) 1 hole; J Milne (Elgin) beat A Smart (Banchory) 5 and 3. Handicap, Angus Salver, semi-finals - J Petrie (Panmure Barry) (13) beat E Herries (Aberdeenshire) (23) 3 and 2; F Davies (Banchory)) (24) beat F Hay (Aberdeenshire) (7) 1 hole.
q CHRIS Kelly (Turnberry Hotel) headed the 41 qualifiers at Shotts yesterday for the assistants pro-am at the same venue on August 23. when he shot a two-over-par 72.
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