JAMES BYRNE OUT TO PROVE HE'S

NOT YESTERDAY'S YOUNG MAN

Banchory's James Byrne has quickly become the forgotten young man on Scotland's international golf scene.

Last year, at the age of 18, he was a member of Scotland's European championship squad of six and played for Scotland in the home internationals at the end of the season.

But a late return home from the American college golf circuit - he is a student at Arizona State University - and a disappointing performance in the St Andrews Links Trophy cost young Byrne dearly.

He was not even a reserve to the Scotland six named this week for next month's European team championship.

That will be sufficient motivation for Byrne to finish ahead of those who have been chosen and are playing in this weekend's SGU Order of Merit 72-hole event, the Tennant Cup at Glasgow Gailes on Saturday and Killermont on Sunday.

Wallace Booth won the tournament - first played as long ago as 1880 - by five shots from Craig Watson after rain wiped out one of the four rounds last year.

Byrne is a winner on the SGU Order of Merit circuit but that was two years ago in the Newlands Trophy at Lanark. Last year he beat young Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) in a play-off for the Scottish boys' open stroke-play at Cardrona but Stewart is the rising star this year, having won the Scottish boys' match-play and finished birdie-eagle to come second in the St Andrews Links Trophy.

James, in 169th position, is still the fourth best Scot on the R&A World Amateur Rankings behind Callum Macaulay (32nd), Wallace Booth (56th) and Keir McNicoll (89th).

This weekend he will be out to prove in the Tennant Cup that he is not yesterday's young man.

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