Not-so-rusty Lawrie plays real stormer in the desert

The Saltire fluttered proudly in the desert in Doha last night after Scotland took charge in the Qatar Masters.

Scots occupied three of the first seven places at the finish of the second round, with Paul Lawrie leading the charge. For the second successive day, the Aberdonian kept a bogey off his card and added a seven-under-par 65 to his opening 68 to open up a two-shot lead.

His blistering perfomance was the best possible endorsement for his new coach, Adam Hunter, with whom he recently linked up.

Lawrie insisted: ''Adam has given up playing to concentrate on coaching and I believe he has made a big difference. He was with David Leadbetter for three years and uses some of his teachings. Mainly, he uses his own methods on me and has his finger on the pulse of my game.''

The 30-year-old, rusty when he racked up 13 bogeys in missing the cut in Dubai last week, recalling his one previous European tour victory came when the 1996 Catalan Open was reduced to 36 holes by high winds, asked: ''Can we stop it now?''

Lawrie birdied all four par-5s and also picked up shots on the fourth, eleventh, and 206-yard thirteenth - where Midlander John Bickerton holed-in-one on his way to a share of second place with Frenchman Jean Van de Velde and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

Joint overnight leader Raymond Russell suffered a double-bogey at the fifteenth, but the man from Prestonpans refused to be rattled and his 70 was enough to ensure he remains firmly in contention in fifth place.

It was also a highly satisfactory day for Stephen Gallacher, who won the Scottish Amateur as a 17-year-old.

Part of the Walker Cup side that beat the Tiger Woods-led Americans at Porthcawl in 1995, the nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher suffered back injuries the following two seasons but re-established himself on the Challenge Tour last year.

This was his first appearance back. and after a 68 the 24-year-old said: ''I had extensive physiotherapy and a physical trainer, Ray McKinnon, who worked with the Scottish Rugby Union. I also changed my swing and have had no trouble since.

''When I first came on tour, I was awestruck watching Monty, Faldo, and Woosie on the range. These guys are so consistent. Their bad shots are usually up the middle, whereas mine are in the rough, water, or out-of-bounds.

''I have to minimise my mistakes and be more consisent, but I've benefitted from the Challenge Tour.

''I ask my uncle for advice, but the best I ever got was not to turn professional as I intended at 17 or 18. These were wise words, for you see what is happening to Justin Rose. Obviously he is finding the step up from the amateurs quite tough even though he is a good player, but there are so many good players out on tour.

Gallacher said: ''I don't set goals. I just want to get into contention and see how my swing holds up. If I can honestly say I am getting better, I'll be happy.''

Rose has still to do that. Despite three closing birdies, the 18-year-old, his fourth place in last July's Open now a distant memory, finished on three-over-par - which was three too many.

He has crashed out in all 14 events he has played as a professional and it is decision time as to where his immediate future lies to rebuild his swing and confidence.

Seve Ballesteros caught an early plane home, too, while Dubai Desert Classic winner David Howell survived with nothing to spare.

The #625,000 tournament has already seen three holes-in-one.

Argentina's Eduardo Romero won a #25,000 sports car in the first round for an ace at the 161-yard seventeenth, but Sweden's Patrik Sjoland's reward for matching that was simply that he made the halfway cut as a result.

qFour-times winner Mark McNulty found sand three times on his way to a triple bogey 8 at the seventeenth hole in the Royal Swazi Sun Open yesterday, but he still managed a four-under-par 68 to trail the first round leaders by three shots.

The Zimbabwean's approach to the par-5 landed in the right greenside bunker, about 12 feet from the hole. He then thinned his sand wedge into the bunker on the opposite side of the green.

McNulty again thinned his shot from the sand to end up back in the original bunker. A third attempt to get out saw his ball land on the far fringe, from where he three-putted.

South Africans Chris Davison, winner of the Southern Africa Players' Championship three weeks ago, Brenden Pappas, and Justin Hobday lead the way after 65s.

qRodney Pampling shot a five-under 67 to lead after the opening round of the Canon Challenge, in Sydney. He leads by a shot from fellow-Australian Marcus Cain, with two more Australians, Adam Crawford and Jeff Wagner, one further back.