Beverley’s Michael Helyard heads Yorkshire challenge at Montrose Links in Scottish Masters

BEVERLEY’S Michael Helyard leads the Yorkshire chase for victory on day one of the Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters at Montrose Links.

Helyard shot a six-under-par 65 to stand one shot off the lead held by South African Darryn Lloyd and Dunbar’s Neil Fenwick.

Sheffield’s James Maw was one stroke further back, with three further Yorkshire players – Rotherham’s David Booth, Oulton Hall’s Daniel Gavins and Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) – on 68.

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Malton & Norton’s Chris Halley and Joe Heraty (Moor Allerton) were on two-under 69, one better than Doncaster’s Graeme Clark, Richard Law (Wakefield) and Tom Perry (Abbeydale).

Middlesbrough’s Michael Skelton finished with a level par 71 as did Snainton’s Alex Belt.

Huddersfield’s Adam Walker shot 74 as did Hessle’s Paul Lockwood.

Helyard was four under through six holes with two birdies and an eagle, but dropped a shot at the ninth. He had four birdies in seven homeward holes, plus a bogey at 15.

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Maw went birdie, eagle, birdie through holes four to six – the eagle a 2 at a 292-yard par-4 where he chipped in from the edge of the green – and had three birdies and two bogeys on his back nine.

Booth played solidly throughout, with one birdie going out, two coming in and no dropped shots.

Gavins had three birdies in four holes from the fourth, but his outward nine ended with a bogey. He had one birdie on the way back to the clubhouse.

Uzzell had four birdies in his front nine, added another at 15 to go five under, but shed two shots at the 17th.

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Halley had four birdies and two bogeys in his 69 while Heraty bogeyed the fourth but then had three birdies in the next four holes. He had a becalmed back nine with one birdie and one bogey.

After dropping a shot at the second, Clark birdied three of the next four and halved the damage done by a double bogey at 11 with a closing birdie.

Law got off to a great start with a birdie at one, gave it back at the fifth, retrieved it at the sixth and added a further birdie at nine. Bogeys at 13 and 18 sandwiched a birdie at 15.

Perry had three birdies going out and two coming home. but there were also four bogeys on his back nine.

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Skelton recovered from a dropped shot at two by birdieing holes six, seven and eight. However, a double bogey at the 9th pulled him back to level par and he finished there after a back nine involving one birdie and one bogey.

Belt offset his double bogey at the second with birdies at the sixth and ninth holes, but then suffered another double bogey at the 176-yard par-3 12th. Three birdies and one bogey in his last four holes put him back where he had begun the round.

Walker had only six pars on his card, the other dozen holes seeing him accumulate five birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey.

Lockwood was out in one-under 35 with the help of two birdies, but came back in 39 with two bogeys and a double bogey at 17.

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