JAMES BYRNE'S LATE STUMBLE IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

Banchory's James Byrne, playing his last US college golf tournament at the end of four years at Arizona State University, double-bogeyed the par-4 17th just when he looked set to start with a par round or better in the NCAA Divsion 1 championship over a long (7,416yd) and tough Karsten Creek course at Stillwater, Oklahoma today. Byrne, who had earlier birdied the fifth, sixth and short 11th, had also bogeyed eighth, 10th and 12th, finished with a 74 (35-39). Tennessee University's English students Garrick Porteous and Darren Renwick scored 77 and 78 respectively. Portous had a triple bogey 7 at the sixth in halves of 40 and 37. Renwick had a distastrous finish of double bogey-double bogey at both the 17th and 18th in halves of 38 and 40. Early leader of a field of 156 of the best US college golfers was Austin Cook (August State) with a 70 (36-34). Cook birdied the second, eighth, 17th and 18th. He bogeyed the fifth and ninth.