8am Round-Up: Martin Laird in top 10 in California
Martin Laird made a promising start to the new PGA Tour season to sit in the top 10 after the opening round of the Safeway Open in California.
The Scot carded six birdies in a five-under-par 67 at Silverado County Club in Napa, where American Scott Piercy set the pace with a course-record 62.
Starting his 10th season on the US circuit, Laird took up where he left off at the end of the last campaign, when he enjoyed a welcome return to form.
Piercy made 12 birdies to sit two shots clear of Paul Casey and Patton Kizzire.
“I think I made more putts in feet than I did all of last season,” the leader told pgatour.com.
Spain’s Jon Rahm had a debut PGA Tour round to remember as he made a hole-in-one at just his second hole - the 11th.
Phil Mickelson, a member of USA’s winning Ryder Cup side at Hazeltine a fortnight ago, carded a two-under 70.
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Raymond Russell, the 2010 winner, shared the lead after the opening round of the Beko Classic at Gloria Golf in Belek, Turkey.
The Scot carded a flawless seven-under-par 65 to sit at the top of the leaderboard alongside Englishman Phil Golding.
Russell, the 1996 Cannes Open champion, opened with two birdies before finishing with a hat-trick of gains.
Fellow Scot Graham Fox had a hole-in-one - at the 17th - in his 71, one better than former Open champion John Daly.
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Vikki Laing was the leading Scot at the end of the first day in the Xiamen International Open in China.
As Yuting Shi set the pace with a seven-under 65, Laing signed for a 70, one better than Pamela Pretswell.
Carly Booth, the only other Scot in the field, was just outside the cut mark after a 74.
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Montrose man Graeme Brown finished joint-10th in the UniCredit PGA Professional Championship at Prevets in Bulgaria.
In an event reduced to 54 holes by heavy rain, Brown signed off with a 73 for a four-under total, finishing 10 behind Ralph Miller as the Dutchman claimed the Euros 10,000 top prize.
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Daniel Young, the 2015 Scottish Amateur Championship runner-up, was sitting just outside the top 20 after the opening round of the Abruzzo Open on the Alps Tour.
The Perth man carded a one-under-par 70 to lie six shots behind Frenchman Raphael Marguery at Miglianico.
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Former Scotland international Brian Soutar showed he can still play a bit by winning the Midland Alliance event at Pitreavie.
Soutar, who won the South African Amateur Championship before taking a break from the game, fired a four-under-par 67 for a three-shot victory at the Dunfermline course.