The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Stewart must up his game Down Under
Grantown player is six off pace inWorld Super 6 Perth
Grantown golfer Duncan Stewart has work to do in Australia if he is to make the cut in the World Super 6 Perth.
Stewart is tied for 80th, six shots behind joint leaders Mark Foster and Brett Rumford following his opening level-par 72.
While Stewart has a chance of making the weekend, countryman Scott Henry is tied for second-last following a 78.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Local playerRumford set the earlypacewithasix-under-par round that contained just a single bogey, with his effort matched by Foster in the afternoon session.
The pair are a shot clear of a group of 10 players, although topping the leaderboard is not the be-all and end-all this week as the European Tour embraces a newformat. The leading 24 players after 54 holes at Lake Karrinyup will contest a six-hole match play format on Sunday to determine the champion.
Foster, who lost his card after a disappointing 2016 campaign but got it back at qualifying school, hopes for a tilt at a second European Tour title 14 years after his only previous success in South Africa.
“It’s a brand new event for everyone,” said the 42year-old. “I’ll have the same plan tomorrow, to try to get into that 24. But if you’re not at your best and you travel this far, sometimes players are happy to make the cut but that’s not good enough. That’s why you’ll see better scoring. Everybody has got to aim high.”
Rumford, a five-time European Tour winner who, like Foster, lost his card last season, said: “It was good, just a solid round. There were no stretches of brilliance, just a consistent round of golf, I controlled the ball pretty much how I wanted it most the day.”
England’s Robert Dinwiddie is among those tied for third on five under, alongside German Sebastian Heisele, Japan’s Hideto Tanihara, American pair Casey O’Toole and Johannes Veerman and Australians Adam Blyth, Steve Dartnall, Daniel Fox, Lucas He r b e r t and Ja s o n Scrivener.
Last year’sPerthInternational winner Louis Oosthuizen opened with a three-under-par 69 to sit in a tie for 24th but world number 11 Alex Noren could only manage a twoover 74.
Ellon golfer Michele Thomson has made a solid start to the Women's Australian Open at Royal Adelaide Golf Club.
JUNIOR FOOTBALL LEADERS ON THE ROAD
In the McBookie.com Superleague, leaders Dyce host Culter tomorrow and Hermes visit second-placed Stonehaven.
Banks o ’ Dee face Dufftown at Spain Park. Banchory St Ternan host Inverness City, Hall Russell United visit Deveronside andMaud welcome Buckie Rovers to Pleasure Park.
In the First Division (East), Fochabers entertain Nairn St Ninian with Burghead Thistle making the trip to Islavale and Montrose Roselea facing New Elgin.
At the Meadows, Ellon United are up againstNewmachar United in the second round of the Domino’s Pizza North Regional Cup.
Aberdeen University meet Stoneywood Parkvale in Group 1 of theAMProperty Maintenance Morrison Cup.
Cruden Bay go to New Advocates Park to play East End and Fraserburgh United welcome Longside to College Park.
In Group 2 of the same competition, Lewis United face Glentanar at Aberdeen Sports Village while, at Heathryfold, it’s Sunnybank against Buchanhaven Hearts.
The onlyGAEngineering Inter Regional Cup match to go ahead is Newburgh Thistle’s third-round trip to Kirriemuir Thistle, which was postponed earlier in the month.
The Meldrum House player, from Ellon, shot a six-under-par 67 to be tied sixth behind Australian Katherine Kirk. Kirk took the first-round lead with a bogey-free 65 and is at the head of an international field of 144.
Aberdeen-born Gemma Dryburgh is tied 61st on 73 while former Women's British Open champion Catriona Matthew, from North Berwick, made a disappointing start with a three-over 76 for a share of 111th position.
The result of a second ballot on admittingwomen members to Muirfield Golf Club is expected to be announced by the middle of next month.
After the first vote narrowly failed to achieve the two- thirds majority required last year, the R&A announced the course would no longer be considered to host the Open championship.
Muirfield has staged the Open 16 times, most recently in 2013 when Phil Mickelson won.
WOMEN’S HOCKEY LET THE GAMES BEGIN
There is a near full resumption for outdoor National League, Championship League and North District Division 1 women’s hockey teams across the weekend.
There is also a final indoor session tomorrow at RGU Sport involving Aberdeen Grammar FPs, AAM Merlins Gordonians and Granite City Wanderers 2nds, who finished as the leading three teams in the North District Indoor Division One title race earlier in the season.
“Some are happy to make the cut but that’s not good enough”