Grant Forrest secures MENA Tour card in style

The 23-year-old chased home fellow Scot Jack Doherty to  finish second in the circuit’s 54-hole qualifying school in Morocco.

Forrest birdied the last at Royal Golf El Jadida for a closing 73 and a three-over-par 219 aggregate, finishing three shots behind Docherty.

It was another impressive effort from Forrest, who has made a solid start to life in the paid ranks.

He finished just outside the top 40 on his pro debut in the Dunhill Links Championship last October before making it to the final of the European Tour Qualifying School.

His main focus this season will be the Challenge Tour, starting with the Turkish Airlines Challenge in Belek next month.

But, having given himself another option, the former Walker Cup player will now stay on in Morocco for the third-tier circuit’s first two events of the new campaign.

Closer to home, Winterfield proved a real test in the wind for 61 players competing in an East Alliance event at the Dunbar course.

A five-over-par 70 - carded by both Glenbervie amateur Tony Boyle and Houston Golf Range pro Andy Marshall - was the day’s best scratch score.

Best net was a 65 from Andy McElhinney, earning the Harburn nine-handicapper the T C Jordan Trophy.

Craigielaw’s Scott Gillies was top trainee on 78 while the senior spoils went to East Alliance stalwart George Wither as the Duddingston man carded a net 72 off three.

Liberton’s Kieran Cantley retains top spot in the scratch and handicap Order of Merits, with Andy Rothney now his leading challenger on both lists.

Cantley will have home advantage in the final regular outing of the season next Wednesday before Gullane stages the 36-hole championship on March 29.

Tomorrow sees the second round of matches in the Fife & Lothians Winter League at Thornton, where hosts Fife take on West while leaders Mid meet East.