McCreadie aims to be the master

Buchanan Castle's Jason McCreadie, playing in the second wave of the double shotgun start format, came in with a five-under-par 67 to take a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the EMTEC Deer Park Masters at the Livingston venue.

Chris Kelly, Christopher Currie (Caldwell) and Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) had led the first wave in the huge field with 69s.

But McCreadie swept past the clubhouse trio with birdies at the third, sixth, eighth, 10th, 12th and 13th. He looked poised to lead by a bagful of shots but he suddenly came off the boil.

His first and only bogey at the 14th kept the door ajar for his rivals and he could only par the last four holes.

Greig Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), one of a bunch on the 70 mark, also had six birdies but, uncharacteristically he had also had four bogeys in the first 10 holes.

Keir McNicoll (Gullane) led the amateur team of Gary Hawthorn (7), Hector Munro (18) and Kenny Andrew (16) to victory in the morning session with a team score of 12-under-par 60.

In the afternoon competition, Chris Brown (Carrick on Loch Lomond) piloted John Wayper (12), Kevin Williams (14) and Dennis Williams (13) to victory with a net score of 57.