Gray leads at Skibo Castle

Stephen Gray (above) produced one of the great rounds of the Tartan Tour season with an eight-under-par 63 - one shot inside David Thomson's course record - to lead by four strokes at the halfway stage of the £42,000 Carnegie Invitational at Skibo Castle.

On a perfect golfing day - sunshine and no wind - the Hayston Golf Club, Glasgow professional got off to a flying start by birdieing the first four holes.

Five straight pars followed to see him out in four-under 31 over the Carnegie links at the Sutherland venue near Dornoch.

Gray's only bogey, at the 10th, was the springboard from which he birdied the 11th, 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th for four-under 32 home. 

He has a commanding advantage over Greig Hutcheon in the race for the £5,500 first prize, one of the biggest on the Tartan Tour.

The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre man had a double-eagle round - a three at the par five fifth and a two at the par four 17th in halves of 32 and 35. Hutcheon also birdied the long third, seventh, and long 18th but bogeys at the second, 13th and 16th leaves him with an uphill task over the second round in his bid to win for a 10th time this season.

Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) and senior Kenny Hutton (Downfield) are sharing third place on 69.

Fox had four birdies, Hutton five and a double bogey six at the 16th.

Gray and "The Jube Jubes" trio of Greg Fairburn (9), Alan Grant (6) and William Florence (18) lead at halfway in the pro-am team event with a score of 20-under-par 122. 

Craig Ronald and the Barking Mad team are lying second on 127 with Hutcheon and the Rosskeen Rascals third on 128. The teams keep the same pros for the second round.