O’Hara leads way with 67

Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf) has made a solid start in his bid to regain the Scottish Young Professionals Championship he last won in 2013.

In this week's 72-hole tournament at West Lothian Golf Club, Bo'ness, O'Hara teed off with a tournament-leading round of four-under-par 67 today.

Astonishingly, O'Hara is in the pole position in a field of 75 players after the first of four rounds despite a quadruple bogey eight at the 16th hole.

O’Hara had an eagle at the 12th and birdies at the third, fourth, fifth, eighth, 14th and 17th in halves of four-under 32 and level par 35.

The quadruple were the only shots he dropped all day.

O'Hara is a shot ahead of Steven Maxwell (Eastwood) and Ross Munro (Duddingston), and two in front of three players on the 69 mark, Michael Mackenzie (Edzell), Sam McLaren (Blairgowrie) and Colin Robinson (Elie Links).

Maxwell, Munro and Robinson all came back in 31, jointly the lowest inward halves of the day.

Robinson had a birdie at the hole which cost O'Hara an eight and the Elie Links man surged into the leading six overnight with birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.

Title-holder Gavin Hay (Nairn Dunbar) is under pressure to make the cut after opening with a seven-over-par 78

There will be a cut after the second round with the qualifiers playing two rounds on the final day.