McKechnie reaps benefits of coach's basic methods

BRAID HILLS golfer Paul McKechnie pushed himself into early contention for the £55,000 Gleneagles Scottish PGA championship – then praised the new coach who is helping get his game back on the right track.

The former EuroPro Tour No.1 battled to a two-under 71 over the brutal PGA Centenary course to sit two shots behind front runner Graeme Lornie, of Aberdeen, who hit a 69.

McKechnie, who countered three bogeys with a haul of five birdies, has recently switched to the respected Lanark professional Alan White, son of former Rangers manager David, and the 31-year-old said: "I felt I needed a change and Alan has been very good for me.

"He keeps things very simple and it's back-to-basics coaching which I like. He doesn't go in for any of the hi-tech video stuff but just uses his eye and that is often better. Even though I'm in a transitional period, I'm seeing progress and that's encouraging."

McKechnie finished third in the 2006 Scottish PGA and has been third in the Northern Open for the past two years and he added: "I've always got myself into contention at the big events on the Tartan Tour but just don't do enough to finish it off. The margin for error is thin in these tournaments but, hopefully, my time will come eventually."

Capital golfer David Patrick made a solid start to his campaign with a one-over 74 as he set about making up for last year's final day disappointment.

The former Walker Cup player had been leading the field through ten holes of the closing round but, in torrential rain, the Mortonhall man slipped back with a couple of bogeys on the run-in and had to settle for a share of fourth.

Patrick, who knocked in six-foot birdie putts at 16 and 17 to repair some earlier damage, said: "I had a few loose shots off the tee which round here can be costly. But on the whole, I played pretty well and it's something to build on."

West Linton's Gareth Wright opened with a 75 while Uphall's Gordon Law, the 1997 Scottish PGA champion, hit a 76.

Archerfield's former Scottish Boys' champion Lee Harper, runner-up in the Northern Open back in May, could only muster a 77

At the head of the field, Lornie produced a fine back nine of 32 in his four-under round which helped him into a two-stroke lead over McKechnie, Nigel Scott-Smith, Craig Lee and Eddie Thomson.