JAMES ROSS, fourth top-10 finish on US college golf circuit (image from Michigan State University website).

 By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Michigan State University sophomore student James Ross from Edinburgh achieved his second top-10 finish of the year and his fourth over two years on the US college golf circuit in the weekend's Pinehurst Intercollegiate men's tournament over Pinehurst No 6 course in North Carolina.

Ross, pictured left, had nine birdies over 54 holes and was three-under-par for the par-5s in returning scores of 74, 72 and 71 for four-over-par total of 217 over the par-71 course of 6,880yd.

He finished joint eighth in a field of 93 players, five shots behind Josh Brook (UNC Wilmington) (74-69-69) and Matt Ball (Virginia Commonwealth) (74-72-66) who tied on 212 with Brook winning the title play-off with a birdie at the first extra hole.

Another Michigan State student, Conor O'Neil from Glasgow tied for 34th place on 225 with rounds of 76, 74 and 75, including a bag of eight birdies over the 54 holes.

Former Scottish Junior Champion of Champions winner Neil Henderson from North Berwick, a student at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, West Virginia, finished joint 70th on 236 with scores of 77, 79 and 80.

Three other ODU students, Sam Wall from Essex, Garth McGee from Bangor, nr Belfast, and James Brockington from Oxfordshire finished joint 26th, joint 47th  and joint 50th respectively. Wall scored 70, 80 and 73 for 223; McGee 79, 73 and 77 for 229, Brockington 74, 79 and 78 for 231.

On the same 236 mark as Henderson was fellow Scot, Andrew Weir (Francis Marion University) from Montrose. Andrew had rounds of 81, 78 and 77.

Michigan State (891) finished eighth of 16 in the team event behind winners UNC Wilmington (873). Old Dominion (902) were 12th and Francis Marion (921) 14th.