Scotland have added James Morrison to Steve Clarke’s coaching staff.

The former Middlesbrough and West Brom midfielder earned 46 caps for Scotland during his career and was part of the backroom team for their Euro 2024 qualifier wins against Norway and Georgia earlier this month.

Following his retirement in 2019 Morrison joined West Brom’s coaching staff and will continue in his role with the Baggies academy.

He told the Scottish FA website: “It was always a great honour to represent Scotland every time I put on the shirt and it is a privilege to be given an opportunity to work with the men’s national team in a coaching capacity.

“During the recent camp, I witnessed the high standards driven by the coaching staff and players alike and I am thrilled to be a part of the group going forward, at what is a hugely exciting time for the Scotland men’s national team.”

Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa faced an overnight wait to learn whether they had made the cut at the windswept Abu Dhabi Championship, as Scott Jamieson clung to first place.

McIlroy made a vital birdie at the par-five 18th to improve his score to three over, having dropped four shots over the previous five holes.

His opening 72 had been way off the pace, and a 75 in the gusting wind could be considered a better result, nudging the four-time major winner up 15 places to a share of 60th position at Yas Links.

Reigning Open champion Morikawa added a 74 to his opening 73 to sit alongside McIlroy, both men hoping there was no surge coming from those left with holes still to play in the second round.

Play was suspended amid fading light on Friday, after the high winds made scoring treacherously difficult.

Jamieson had opened with a 63 on Thursday, but he had two bogeys and a double in his second round, which he started from the 10th tee. Birdies at 11 and eight kept the 38-year-old Scot just ahead of the field after a 74, with Viktor Hovland, Ian Poulter and James Morrison all one shot back.

Hovland also shot a 74, Poulter impressed with a 72, while Morrison, level par for the day, had four holes of his round to complete as darkness fell.

Former Open champion Shane Lowry was in a group of four on five under, while Denmark's Jeff Winther was the only player to break 70, his round of 69 featuring five birdies and taking him to four under, in a share of ninth.

In the first DP World Tour event of the year, the drastic change in playing conditions provided a stiff test for all, some former Masters winner Danny Willett was among those who struggled.

His 80, after an opening 72, meant the Yorkshireman could be definitely confirmed as missing the cut on eight over. Only four players scored worse.

The top 65 players and ties are assured of playing the final two rounds, with the second round to resume at 07:30 local time on Saturday (03:30 GMT).

Jamieson, the world number 336, said it "certainly wasn't easy" for the players who had enjoyed conditions suitable for low-scoring on the opening day.

"It's so tricky," he said, quoted on the DP World Tour website. "Obviously hitting shots is tricky with all the gusts, but the hardest thing is putting.

"You get over the ball and you feel like you've got to be so tense to stop everything moving, but that's the worst thing you can do when you're trying to putt.

"I holed a lot of really good putts from inside five feet today which kept my score respectable.

"It's a great test from tee to green, if you want to call it a test, at the mercy of whatever gust you might or might not get."

Scott Jamieson holds a one-shot lead from Viktor Hovland after the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship. 

Jamieson got the first DP World Tour event of the year under way with a brilliant nine-under 63 at the Yas Links course on Thursday.

The Scot was bogey-free through his opening round, hitting the turn in 32 and making another five birdies on the back nine to set the clubhouse target at the DP World Tour's newest venue.

Jamieson started with a birdie and never looked back, fittingly also finishing his excellent round with another gain.

He said in an interview with the DP World Tour: "Eight weeks off from tournament golf, you're always a little bit on edge at the start of the day, but a birdie at the first settled any edge there was and I was just really solid all day.

"One tee shot wasn't very good, but I kind of got lucky and recovered well."

Hovland signed for an eight-under 64 in the opening Rolex Series event of the season, with a bogey five at the 12th the only blemish on the world number seven's card.

The Norwegian had gone out in 31 and finished with a flourish, making three birdies in his final four holes.

World number two Collin Morikawa, winner of the Race to Dubai last year, has work to do following a one-over 73, with Rory McIlroy also having ground to make up at level par.

Thomas Pieters is two shots adrift of Jamieson in third place, while Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and James Morrison are among a group of five players on six under.

Takumi Kanaya and Victor Perez also started with six-under rounds of 66.

James Morrison holds a three-shot lead at the European Masters after breaking the course record with a sublime opening round.

Morrison shot a stunning 10-under 60 in a dream start at the picturesque Crans-sur Sierre on Thursday.

Starting from the 10th tee early in the day, the Englishman made an eagle three at the 14th and reached the turn in 31 after his only bogey of the day at 18.

He made birdies at the first, second and fifth holes before finishing with three successive gains, only missing out on a 59 when an approach shot landed three feet from the cup.

Morrison said: "I had a really good look on the last and thought, 'Just try to make this'. The minute your focus goes like that, you chip it stiff, make birdie and shoot 10 under par. I was trying to hole that shot on the last, but next time maybe."

Robin Sciot-Siegrist and Marcus Armitage hold a share of second place following seven-under rounds of 63.

Armitage was bogey-free in his first round, while Sciot-Siegrist dropped only the one shot at the first.

Andy Sullivan and Dean Burmester also made encouraging starts, sitting joint-fourth at six under.

Grant Forrest produced a stunning finish to claim his first European Tour victory at the Hero Open.

The Scotsman, who shared the lead with compatriot Calum Hill heading into the final round, carded a score of 66 on Sunday at Fairmont St Andrews, including closing with back-to-back birdies. 

That sealed a maiden win at the 77th attempt for Forrest as he snatched the title from under the nose of James Morrison, who finished a shot behind on 23 under par after carding an impressive 63.

The 28-year-old, who recently finished tied-fourth at the Irish Open, climbs into the top 200 of the world rankings thanks to his success on home soil.

He also became the third first-time European Tour winner in as many events, following on from the successes of Nacho Elvira and Daniel Gavins at the Cazoo Open and World Invitational respectively.

"There are so many emotions," he said. "To do it in front of everyone who has come up to support me - the last year-and-a-half has been a real challenge on and off the course, so I'm just delighted.

"We've been through quite a lot as a family and to do it here, it's what I've always dreamed of to win on the European Tour. I think there's a big party at the in-laws' tonight.

"I saw the scoreboard and I knew what I needed to do. Our big thing all day was one shot at a time, let's just keep hitting shots.

"I hit a great nine iron into 17 nice and close and that really helps, and then two great shots into 18 – it was a great way to finish."

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