Heather not so bonnie for some in Spey Valley trudge

first round of northern open not for the faint-hearted as doak leads

By dave edwards

Published:

PEAK PERFORMANCE: Royal Dornoch’s Gary Dingwall on the 18th fairway at Spey Valley against the magnificent backdrop of the Lairig Ghru mountain pass in the Cairngorms. Sandy McCook

Some players took six hours to navigate their way round the stunning – but testing – Spey Valley course at Aviemore in the opening round of the Northern Open yesterday.

Only 20 from a field of 142 bettered par.

Greenock’s Chris Doak leads the field with a four-under-par 68. The 2005 champion said: “The heather makes it tighter, so I was happy with a 68. It is a great test of golf with some punishing holes and, on occasion, you have to take a three-wood to avoid bunkers and the heather.

“But on the the way in I eagled the 17th, so I am happy enough with a 68.”

Dunblane’s Ewan Davie came in late-on with a 69 to match the score carded earlier by former Italian Open champion Dean Robertson.

Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) carded a two-under par 70, the same mark as Edzell’s Alastair Webster and Grantown’s Chris Campbell.

Aberdeen’s Scott Henderson opened up with a one-under-par 71. He said: “I was two-under at the turn, with birdies at the third and ninth, and hadn’t made any mistakes until I tried to play safe down the 12th with an iron, hit in the bunker and made five.

“At the par-5 13th I lost a ball off the tee left and made six with my second ball, which took me back to level. But I birdied 16 and 17 before three-putting the last for bogey. I was steady enough, but a couple of loose shots at the wrong time cost me and if you do put it into the rough you just can't find it."

Two-time winner Jason McCreadie opened his account with a steady two-under par 72. Dunblane’s Steven Rettie set the early pace, also recovering from bogeying the opening hole to shoot a two-under par 70.

Press and Journal columnist Murray Urquhart, one of the last to finish, recorded an opening 71.

Urquhart said: “At five-and-a-half hours, that’s the longest two-ball I've ever played in, but I am quite happy with one-under.

“If you go into the heather here it is a shot gone, if not a lost ball, but thankfully I was only in it once today and managed to get a par out of it. This course can bite you pretty quickly."

Haggs Castle’s Campbell Elliott aced the 205-yard sixth with a five iron on his way to a one-under-par 71, the same mark as Royal Dornoch’s Gary Dingwall and 22-year-old Mark Barnard.

Peterculter’s Greig Hutcheon, one of the last to finish at 7.45pm, walked off at level par after shooting 72.

Spare a thought for Royal Musselburgh's Kenny Glen who racked up a 15 at the treacherous 409-yard par-4 seventh, losing a ball, taking a penalty drop, and hacking his way through the heather with four more shots to get back on the fairway on his way to an adventurous 92.