Golf: James impressive

GREAT BRITAIN and Ireland ended the opening day's play in the World Amateur Team Championship on level par and in fourth spot, five strokes behind the nine-times winners, the United States.

With three of the four scores counting, best performance for George Macgregor's men came from the Amateur champion, Lee James, the Dorset 21-year-old who hit a two-under-par 69 around the tight, tree-lined fairways of the testing La Boulie course, near Versailles.

Two birdies and two bogeys were supplemented in fine style by an eagle three at the 480-yard 17th, where he holed from 25 feet after a three-wood second shot had trundled on to the green.

Warren Bennett posted a one-over-par 72 but admitted he was far from pleased with his game, as did the Scot, Gordon Sherry, as the two headed for the practice ground.

The non-counting score for the Great Britain and Ireland side came from Stephen Gallacher, nephew of Ryder Cup captain Bernard, who found the lightning fast greens too much to cope with, and he three-putted four times in his 73.

Allen Doyle helped the Americans into the lead, finishing in a five-under 208.