Connor Graham more than lived up to the hype in the first round of the Scottish Boys’ Open at Murcar Links with a stunning five-under 66 to take a one-shot lead.
The Blairgowrie GC member, still only 15, birdied the last to claim a narrow advantage over England’s Charlie Croker, fellow Perthshire player Daniel Bullen and Wales’ Joe Jones.
Graham’s 2022 was already the subject of great anticipation after his brilliant year in 2021, which culminated in him winning the Junior European Open in Spain in November. He’d earlier become the youngest-ever semi-finalist in the Scottish Amateur Championship.
That championship was also at Murcar, so it wasn’t exactly rocket-science to figure out that the Blairgowrie High pupil was going to be a factor this week even in cool and wet conditions on the north-east links.
Five birdies on the front nine
🐦| A stunning front-nine, including five birdies, sees Scot Connor Graham joint top of the leaderboard at the Scottish Boys' Open Championship @MurcarLinksGolf!
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— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) April 6, 2022
“I played really well tee to green but it’s the first time in a while I’ve putted really well,” he said. “I holed a lot of putts out there.
“It’s good to have played well around here before, and that gave me confidence going into today.”
Croker, from the Thorndon Park club in Essex, set the early pace with his four-under 67, but Graham moved to four-under on the front nine alone, with five birdies and a sole bogey at the third on the way out.
Another birdie at the 11th had the Perthshire player in the outright lead, but he took a costly six at the long 14th before his final hole birdie.
Auchterarder’s Bullen put together a furious finish with three birdies in his last four holes to complete a 67.
The 18-year-old was a semi-finalist in the British Boys in 2021. He’s signed a letter of intent to study at the University of Oregon later this year.
Jones was tied with Croker three shots behind behind Graham in the Junior European Open in Cadiz last November. The Welshman was out in a searing five-under but needed a birdie at the last to stay in a share of second place.
One other Scot, Royal Troon’s Scott Newman, came in under-par on the first day with a two-under 69. Gullane’s Fergus Brown and Ross Laird (Glenbervie) both had level par 71s. Newmachar’s Scott Spark is the best-placed north-east player on 72.
Scanlan, Gollan set the pace in Girl’s Open
😀| All smiles for our clubhouse leader, Roisin Scanlon, at the Scottish Girls' Open Championship @IrvineGC!
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— Scottish Golf (@ScottishGolf) April 6, 2022
In the Scottish Girls’ Open at Irvine Bogside, England’s Roisin Scanlon and Philipa Gollan, from Germany, are the first round pace-setters with three-under rounds of 69.
The best-placed Scot after the first round is Jodie Graham (Hamilton) on one-over. Troon’s Freya Russell and North Berwick’s Grace Crawford are on two-over.
The Boys’ and Girls’ Opens are being played for the first time since 2019, with the last two years cancelled due to Covid restrictions. A return to a full programme of Scottish Golf Union championships is planned for the summer.
