SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Sponsored by Allied Surveyors
Hosted by Nairn Golf Club.

STROKE-PLAY CHAMPION SCOTT HENDRY
IS FIRST SEED TO FALL ON OPENING DAY

Scott Hendry, the Scottish open amateur stroke-play champion, was the first seed to bite the dust on the opening day of the Allied Surveyors Scottish men's amateur championship at Nairn today. Late in the day, the Cardross youngster, who has not been in the best of health since his great win at Craigielaw, lost by 2 and 1 to Andrew Weir (Montrose Mercantile).

"I am feeling utterly drained," said Scott after his defeat.

Weir said: "I holed a big putt at the 12th to go two up and I never let anything slip after that. To be fair to Scott, he was not really playing at his best today."

Title-holder Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) was taken to the 19th by Ryan McKenzie (Easter Moffat), winner of the Newlands Trophy tournament earlier this season.
Campbell looked to be in big trouble - one down on the 18th tee - but the par-5 last hole at Nairn is a great match-play hole and Glenn was able to birdie it to square the match and squeeze through at the first extra hole.

Apart from Campbell, the seeded Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes), Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) and Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) made it safely through to the second round.

Incidentally, Scott Jamieson's father Peter also won his first-round tie.

McNicoll, recent winner of the East of Scotland Open at Lundin Links, now meets the mercurial Wallace Booth (Comrie) who can be brilliant in the morning and erratic in the afternoon. Wallace, the Scottish youths champion of 2004 and a golf scholarship student at Augusta State University, won by two holes against Marcus Read who came all the way to the Moray Firth links from Saunton in Devon to play 18 holes.

The first notable casualty of the event had been former Walker Cup player and 2004 British amateur champion, Stuart Wilson, now the secretary of Forfar Golf Club.
Commenting on his one-hole, first-round exit at the hands of Dunbar’s Alexander Culverwell, Wilson said, “I have started to play a bit more golf again, but in the last six weeks I’ve had four weddings, a christening and have moved house. So there hasn’t been much time for golf.”
Culverwell, the current Lothians champion said: “I came out here to hit the greens and fairways and not to make too many mistakes, and to try and make as many pars as I could.
“It was a close match, with never much in it only staying one hole up until I got a birdie on the 17th. My play was a bit scrappy down the last but at least I only made one bogey.”

One of the best finishes of the day was produced by Robert McKnight (Barassie) to beat Barrie Edmond, recent winner of the Aberdeen City match-play championship for the Douglas Philip Trophy. McKnight birdied his last three holes to win through at the 20th. His first birdie squared the match at the 18th. His second birdie only halved the first extra hole. Then his third birdie took him through at the second extra hole.

(If it's women's golf news you want, log on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk)

ALL THE FIRST ROUND RESULTS

FIRST QUARTER

Sandy Ross (Isle of Skye) bt Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 1 hole.

Chris Lawton (Stirling) bt John Cairney (Irvine Ravenspark) at 20th.

Lee Vettese (Nigg Bay) bt David McCaig (Barassie) 5 and 3.

Gordon Morrison (Nairn) bt Euan Kennedy (Stonehaven) 3 and 1.

John McWilliams (West Linton) bt James Gunn (Royal Dornoch) 3 and 2.

(Seed) Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) bt Philip Neil (Craigielaw) 3 and 2.

Stanley Morrison (US) bt Alister Ferguson (Dunfermline) 2 and 1.

Jamie Neilson (Dunbar) bt Colin Turnbull (Haggs Castle) 7 and 5.

Clark Riddick (Dumfries & Galloway) bt Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) 2 and 1.

Tom Blennerhassett (Dalmahoy) bt Wilson Bryson (Drumpellier) 2 and 1.

Gregor Stewart (Murcar Links) bt Nilam Purewal (Bonnyton) 5 and 4.

Alex Culverwell (Dunbar) bt Stuart Wilson (Forfar) 1 hole.

Lindsay Miller (Cawder) bt James Foley (Forres) 2 and 1.

Mark Kerr (Dalmahoy) bt David Simpson (Comrie) 6 and 5.

Scott Michie (Thornton) bt Alistair Lauder (Paisley) at 21st.

Campbell Donaldson (Downfield) bt Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 1 hole.

David Addison (Barassie) bt Richard Hyland (Newmachar) 3 and 2.

Stephen Clark (Haggs Castle) bt Graeme Smith (West Linton) 4 and 3.

Michael Daily (Erskine) bt Bruce Thomson (Inverness) 3 and 2.

Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) bt Kevin Taylor (Elgin) 3 and 2.

Neil Robertson (Drumpellier) bt Graeme Molloy (Wishaw) 4 and 3.

Tom Higson (Eyemouth) bt Stephen Cochrane (Alyth) 3 and 2.

George Barrie (Callander) bt Chris Heslip (Monifieth) 3 and 2.

John Ralston (Shotts) bt Colin Colraine (Windyhill) 6 and 5.

Elliot Saltman (Craigielaw) bt Malcolm Davidson (Craigie Hill) 5 and 4.

David Laing (Craigielaw) bt Nicky Gold (Bonnyton) 4 and 2.

Daniel Sommerville (St Andrews) bt Michael Wilson(Royal Aberdeen) 3 and 1.

Barry McDermott (Leven GS) bt Ienneth Ralston (Shotts) 3 and 2.

Roy Alexander (Haggs Castle) bt Alastair Love (Dunbar) 2 and 1.

David Henderson (Hamilton) bt Jonathan Jeffrey (Nairn) 6 and 5.

(Seed) Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) bt Ryan McKenzie (Easter Moffat) at 19th.

Andrew Brown (West Kilbride) bt Alasdair McDonald (Craigie Hill) 3 and 2.

SECOND QUARTER

(Seed) Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) bt Adam Nelson (Douglas Park) 5 and 4.

Barry Gibson (Kemnay) bt Peter Saggers (Nairn) 4 and 3.

Michael MacDonald (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) bt Simon Lockhart (Bathgate) 4 and 3.

Robert Smith (Nairn) bt Stephen MacNamara (Renfrew) 3 and 2.

Stephen Carruthers (Pitlochry) bt Robert Carson(Dalmahoy) at 19th.

Andrew Rollo (Elgin) bt Finlay White (Crieff) 5 and 4.

Mark Robertson (Ranfurly Castle) bt Marcello Russo (Drumpellier) 5 and 4.

Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) bt Frazer Bone (Cardross) 5 and 4.

George Asher (Nairn) bt HughNelson (Kilsyth Lennox) 6 and 5.

Gordon Black (Fereneze) bt Fraser Inglis (Murrayshall) 3 and 2.

Steven McEwan ( Barassie) bt Blair Paterson (Stirling) 3 and 2.

Chris Baron (Oldmeldrum) bt Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 3 and 2.

Graham Bell (Downfield) bt Gregor Munro (Archerfield Links) 8 and 7.

Allan Johnston (Bonnyton) bt Alex Moir (Thornton) 1 hole.

Jamie Farmer (St Andrews) bt Neil McBride (Cowglen) 5 and 4.

Neil Henderson (The Glen) bt Craig Loftus (Lundin) 1 hole.

Brian Soutar (Leven GS) bt Stuart Turnbull (Hayston) 6 and 5.

Craig Storrier (Downfield) bt Allan McKie (Glencruitten) at 19th.

Stuart Roberts (Gullane) bt Craig Young (Eastwood) 4 and 3.

Jonathan King (Glasdgow) bt Gary Thomson (Moray) 3 and 2.

Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) bt Douglas Hunter (Dalmahoy) 6 and 5.

Russell Thornton (US) bt Michael Spence (Newmachar) 4 and 3.

Robert McKnight (Barassie) bt Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) at 20th.

Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) bt Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) 6 and 5.

Steven Fraser (Callander) bt Neal Stewart (Buckpool) 4 and 3.

Peter Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) bt Myles Cunningham (Longniddry) 1 hole.

Ross Dixon (Barassie) bt Joe Lockie (Tantallon 2 and 1.

Andrew Weir (Montrose Mercantile) bt (Seed) Scott Hendry (Cardross) 1 hole.

David Strachan (Turnberry) bt Phil Dempsey (Alloa) at 20th.

Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) bt Graham Turner (West Linton) 2 and 1.

Colin Heuchan (Southerness) bt Paul Betty (Hayston) 2 and 1.

Zack Saltman (Craigielaw) bt George Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark) 2 and 1.

THIRD QUARTER

(Seed) Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) bt John Broadley (Deeside) 43 and 2.

Wallace Booth (Comrie) bt Marcus Read (Saunton) 2 holes.

Craig Haugh (Cathkin Braes) bt Christopher Wedgeworth(Cowglen) 4 and 3.

Steven Hume (Murrayshall) bt Andrew Hay (Westhill) 2 holes.

John Forbes (Inverness) bt Barry Mitchell (Murcar Links) 6 and 5.

Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) bt James McGhee (Gullane) 2 and 1.

Gordon Rennie (Cathkin Braes) bt Iain Simpson (Craigie Hill) 2 and 1.

Craig Waddell (Cathkin Braes) bt Robby Anderson (Duddingston) 2 and 1.

Euan Polson(Invernes) bt Steven Buchan (Royal Aberdeen) 2 and 1.