Lucky Neil gets to play Pinehurst

... but long course costs him a 76

North Berwick's Neil Henderson (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia) was lying in joint 53rd position after a first-round 76 in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate over the Pinehurst No 8 course, North Carolina.

Lucky Neil, a former Scottish schoolboys champion and also winner of the Scottish junior champion of champions competition before he to be able to play any of the Pinehurst courses, originally designed by Donald Ross after he emigrated from Dornoch!

That's one thing about the US college golf circuit. Never mind the scores - look at the courses they are getting to play, and the places they see!

Neil, pictured above, started at the 10th and bogeyed that hole, also the 14th, the first and the seventh before he had a double bogey 5 at the short eighth and another shot dropped at the ninth in halves, as he played them, of 36 and 40 over a par-72 course of just over 7,000yd - much longer than amateurs usually are asked to play in this country.

Leading after 18 holes of this scheduled three-round tournament was Nathan Sutherland (Miami of Ohio by one shot from Tommy McDonagh (Penn State).

LATER NEWS

Neil Henderson began his second round today at the 10th and bogeyed that hole again before birdieing the 12th but running up a double bogey 6 at the 14th.