O'hara and Hutcheon both off to strong starts in PGA Pros at Blairgowrie
Scottish duo Paul O’hara and Greig Hutcheon have Welshman Toby Hunt in their sights after a low-scoring opening day in the PGA Professional at Blairgowrie.
St Mellions man Hunt took pride of place in Perthshire as he opened with a nineunder-par 63, lowering the Lansdowne course record by a shot with an effort that contained an eagle and eight birdies.
However, it was also a rewarding day for both inform O’hara and experienced campaigner Huthcheon as they posted matching 65s to sit as the pacesetter’s closest challengers.
O’hara, the 2017 winner, signed for eight birdies to be lurking ominously while a bogey-free effort from Hutcheon was sparked by an opening eagle, which he then followed with five birdies.
Craig Lee, who carded 68, and Alastair Forsyth, with a 69, also made promising starts, though Hunt, the 2018 Asbri Welsh National PGA Championship winner in 2018, was quickest out of the blocks in the battle for a £10,000 top prize.
Talking through his round, Hunt said: “I had a great start – driver, 5-iron into five feet on the first. Eagle there. Twoiron, wedge to about eightfoot on the second for a birdie .
“It’s a course that suits me as I’m not the strongest driver and it allows me to play 2-irons. If you hit it 260-270 yards off the tee on the par4s, you’re going in with a wedge or 9-iron most of the time.
“I did that really well and also got the putter going today.”
He added: “It’s the best I’ve swung it for as far back as I can remember.
“I haven’t played the course before and I really enjoyed
Kilmacolm’s Matthew Clark carded a course-record nineunder-par 62 at Nairn to progress to the match-play stage of the R&A Amateur Championship for the first time in style as the top seed.
The 39-year-old, who is a manager with TSB Bank, sparked his sensational effort with a burst of four straight birdies from the third before adding further gains at the 10th, 11th, 15th, 17th and 18th as he kept his foot to the pedal right to the finish.
“I played great all day,” said Clark, a sterling servant to Scotland over the years in the amateur ranks. “It helped having Jamie (Mann) and Luke (Harries) alongside me also playing well. I hit a lot of good golf shots, played conservatively and avoided the bunkers, which you need to do around this golf course.
“While I’ve played in the championship enough times, I’ve never qualified for the match-play before, but my game was trending, I think is the current word.”
Having opened with a 72 in tougher conditions on Monday, Clark finished with a eight-under total, pipping England’s Jack Dyer (67) by a shot, with Suffolk-based Scot Gregor Tait and Ireland’s Luke O’neill next on four-under.
“It’s a nice place to get a course record, but I think you’d give that and the 62 up to hold the trophy on Saturday,” said Clark.
“That’s what we’ve all come here for and they’ll all be gunning for the guy who did something good today, so let’s see how it goes.”
Tait, a 23-year-old who plays at Aldeburgh, signed for six birdies as he comfortably made the top 64 at the first attempt.
“My whole family is Scottish. My dad grew up in Bathgate and my mum was born in Aberdeen and, though the accent doesn’t suggest as much, I have always been a proud Scot,” he said.
Host club member Calum Scott, who had led after an opening 67, also progressed as one of the leading seeds after adding a one-over-par 72 that was bookended with birdies.
“I’ve done well in match-play in the past and hopefully I can have an advantage at my home club,” he said. “I know when to be aggressive and when to hold back.”