KIRSTY BRODIE AND JILLIAN FARRELL TO THE FORE AT MONTROSE LINKS

Strathmore's Kirsty Brodie and Jillian Farrell (Cardross) kept the home fires burning on the opening day of the Scottish Under-18 girls' open stroke play golf championship at Montrose Links today (Wed)

Kristy shares the lead at the head of an international field of 102 with a one-under-par 72 alongside Germany's Hannah Karg while Jillian is one off the pace in a four-way tie for third place on 73.

Brodie bounced back in great style after bogeys at the eighth, ninth and 11th. She staged a grandstand finish to step into the spotlight with birdies at the 12th, 14th, 15th and17th in an inward half of three-under 34.

Co-leader Karg would have been clear of the field but for double bogey 6s at the second and 10th holes. Five birdies in halves of 36 have her sharing the pole position.

Farrell, winner of a recent Scottish Junior Tour girls' competition, stayed in good form with a bag of six birdies in halves of 36 and 37. Six bogeys cancelled out her gains but she is still in good shape.

Aboyne's Shannon McWilliam, one of the favourites for the title, is still seeking to recapture the form that earned her selection for the GB and I Junior Vagliano Trophy team a couple of years ago. She had a lacklustre round of 79 with no birdies and two double bogeys.

The leading North-east player with a 78 is Jasmine Mackintosh (Hazlehead) who had an eagle 3 at the par-5 17th.


SCOTTISH U18 GIRLS OPEN STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Montrose Links.
FIRST ROUND
Par 71. CSS
72 K Brodie (Strathmore) H Karg (Ger).
73 J Farrell (Cardross), A Ruttert (Ger), H Muse (West Lancs), E Brennan (Trentham), H Screen (Berkhamsted).
74 A Williamson (Royal Cromer), J Bailey (Kirby Muxloe).
75 B Bayles (Kirby Muxloe), M Lewis (St George's Hill), C Eisenbeiss (Ger), C Worby (Newport).

SELECTED SCORES
76 A Taylor (Bawburgh).
77 L Green (West Lancs), R Earl (Bishops Stortford), J Guest (Gog Magog), E Rhodes (Burnham and Berrow).
78 J Mackintosh (Hazlehead), M Thomas (Beau Desert), J Hall (Bishop Auckland), M Slater (Woodsome Hall).

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
79 S McWilliam (Aboyne).
80 L Duncan (West Kilbride), A McKay (Crail GS), E Hynd (Balbirnie Park), L McClymont (Milngavie).
81 K Brown (Strathaven), S Woodhouse (East Kilbride), C Griffiths (Aboyne), C Neilson (Alvaneu Bad), J Rankine (Haggs Castle).
82 H Darling (Broomieknowe), M Richmond (Strathaven).
83 I Roska (Inverness).
84 P Wilson (Burntisland).
87 M Ashley (Strathmore), E Logie (Buckpool).
89 S Black (Deeside), Z Morton (Auchterarder).
91 E Crawford (Baberton).
95 C Irvine (Craigielaw).
98 R Foster (Turnberry).