YORKSHIRE PLAYER LEADS FIRST ROUND IN HELEN HOLM

Yorkshire's Julie Ross was the surprise first-round leader in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship over the Troon Portland course today (SATURDAY).
The Whitley Bay player posted a five-under-par 70 to head arguably the strongest international field in the history of the 54-hole event which finishes with a round over the Royal Troon course.
The fact that the "Helen Holm" has been included for the first time on the list of counting events for the European Golf Association's women's amateur rankings helps to explain the sudden influx of Continental players, reducing the handicap limit to 1.1 and the number of Scots in the field to 12.
Julie achieved her very good round in a freshening wind despite a double-bogey 6 at the fifth. She finished with an eagle 3 at the long 18th and also birdied five par-4 holes (the first, second, ninth, 12th and 15th) as well as the par-4 13th and 17th.
She had bogeys at the eighth and 11th in halves of 38 (par) and 32 (five under).
That gave Miss Ross a one-shot lead from Danielle Montgomery (The Lambourne), an English girl from Perth, Western Australia, English girls champion Melissa Reid (Chevin) and former "Helen Holm" champion Emma Duggleby.
Heather MacRae (Dunblane New) and Krystle Caithness (St Regulus) gave Scotland a double representation in the top eight. Both shot three-under-par 72s.
Heather, who has cut short her stay at San Diego University, for an all-out bid to clinch a place in the GB&I team for the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, Oregon at the end of July.
The current British women's open amateur stroke-play champion, Miss MacRae birdied the second, sixth, ninth, 10th, 12th and 18th in halves of 36. But for bogeys at the third, 15th and 16th, Heather would really have been blooming.
Krystle, only 17 years old, highlighted her halves of 34 and 38 with an eagle 3 at the long ninth. She also had birdies at the sixth, seventh, 15th and 18th. Her bogeys came at the 10th, 11th and 16th.
Defending champion Martina Gillen from Ireland had a solid par 75.
HELEN HOLM SCOTTISH WOMEN'S OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Troon Portland.
FIRST ROUND
Par 75
70 J Ross (Whitley Bay).
71 D Montgomery (Lambourne), M Reid (Chevin), E Duggleby (Malton & Norton)
72 J Berton (Fra), M Morrin (The Curragh), D Smith (Co Louth), H MacRae (Dunblane New), K Caithness (St Regulus).
73 K Smith (Waterlooville), M Bazin de Jessey (St Cloud), K Ulander (Swe).
74 C Booth (Comrie), V Derrey (Fra), C Hedwall (Swe), K Matharu (Cookridge Hall), A Laing (Vale of Leven), R Bell (Ganton)
75 L Kenney (Pitreavie), L Eastwood (Yelverton), C Coughlan (Cork), M Gillen (Beaverstown), S Westerlund (Fin).
76 N Edwards (Ganton), K Walker (Buchanan Castle), J Ewart (Catterick), C Gruber (Royal Dornoch), F Lockhart (St Regulus), S Walker (Kenwick Park), M Bourdy (Fra), C Lee (West Lancs), M Sapin (Fra).
77 M Pow (Selkirk), E Giraud (Fra), S Evans (Vale of Llangollen), T Mangan (Ennis), R Niven (Crieff), C Hargan (Mortonhall).
78 M Kotnik (Aut), L Ball (Matfen Hall), J Hodge (Knowle), K Ruuttila (Fin), A-L Caudal (Fra), J Schaeffer (Fra), S Harkonen (Fin), S Keane (The Curragh), R Vilatte (Fra).
79 L Hall (Royal Porthcawl), A Vilatte (Fra), J Wilson (Strathaven), M Hoghwimmer (Aut).
80 F Sanderson (Heworth), A-K Salmen (Fin), R Lomas (Hallowes), L Gendronneau (Fra), B Loucks (Wrexham), A Marshall (Royal Cinque Ports).
81 E Tipping (Sandiway), J Kuivainen (Fin).
82 H-L Salonen (Fin), A Decharne (Fra), K Mertl (Ger), E Sheffield (Newark), M Ricordeau (Fra).
85 V A Stefansen (Den), S Garbutt (Ganton).
87 J Carthew (Ladybank),
86 C Fallay (Fra), S Birks (Wolstanton).
89 L Edmunds (Sunningdale), N Isaksson (Fin)..
97 C Montgomery (US).