TWELVE SCOTTISH WINNERS

BALGOWNIE SNIPPETS

There were 12 Scottish winners and 17 Scottish losers on the first day of the British boys'
amateur championship at Balgownie.
A further 23 Scots will be action on Tuesday when the first round will be completed.
Three talent-spotting head golf coaches from American universities - Texas, Oklahoma State and East Tennessee State - watched the first day's play.
The last putt of the day was struck at 9.19 as Dan Clarke (Woodhall Spa) beat John Paul Banbury (Moor Hall) by two holes.
They were given the option by R&A officials on the 17th tee of calling a halt because of darkness and returning to the course at 6.45am Tuesday to finish the tie. The boys decided to carry on.
Christopher Kneen (Mount Murray) and Ed Kennedy (Broadway) were all square after 18 but they accepted the R&A offer to call it a day. They will resume on the 19th tee at 6.45am.
Marius Thorp (Norway), widely tipped as the favourite for the title, has in fact withdrawn from the championship. None of the Norwegian players who won the world boys' team title in Japan followed by the European boys' team championship by beating Scotland in the final in Sweden will play at Balgownie.
Which seems a great pity.
Thorp, only just turned 18, won the Open championship silver medal which goes to the leading amateur at Hoylake last month. He is also the reigning European men's individual amateur champion.