Six birdies help Laing into second place

SCOTLAND'S Vikki Laing packed six birdies into a great round of a four under par 68 and finished in a four-way tie for second place after the first round of the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco yesterday. Russia's Maria Verchenova had eight birdies to lead on 67.

Comrie's 17-year-old Carly Booth enjoyed a fine start to her professional career with a one-over-par 73. Scotland's youngest ever professional opened with a nervy double-bogey six but recovered with birdies at the next two holes. She went on to pick up another couple of shots but made bogeys at the fourth, eighth and 14th and was just outside the top 30.

Kylie Walker, another Scot making her debut on the Ladies' European Tour, had a slightly disappointing 75. Laing, who finished 53rd as a rookie on Tour last year, began with a bogey but then made five birdies between the second and 12th. She dropped a shot at the 14th but bounced back with a birdie at the 16th.

Ayrshire's Pamela Feggans was the second Scot to finish on the right side of par in the 54-hole tournament, with three birdies in a round of one under 71.