Friday, July 31, 2009

McNicoll v O'Hara and Innes v

Law in semi-finals at Royal Troon

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Murcar Links’ Bryan Innes swept into the semi-finals of the Allied Surveyors Scottish men’s amateur golf championship at the windy Royal Troon Golf Club links today.
But the glory runs by one of the two other North-east players in the last eight, Grant Carnie from Ellon, ended in disappointment.
Scottish boys champion David Law from Hazlehead joined his fellow Aberdonian in the last four with a last-green win over Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie).
Innes will now play Law for a place in the final.
The other semi-final features the two remaining seeds, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) and Paul O’Hara (Colville Park).
Innes, a 39-year-old wealth advisor, beat a stuffy Drumpellier player Steven Rennie by 6 and 4 with an excellent display of how to hit long irons under the wind.
“I’m playing the course – not my opponent – every time I go out. I just concentrate on getting my tee shots on the fairways or on the greens at the short holes and my game plan is working well so far.”
Innes reached the semi-finals of the British mid-amateur championship at Muirfield three or four years ago but this is the first time he has made it through to the last four in the Scottish amateur.
“Reaching the last 16 was my previous best so I’m ahead of myself,” said Bryan whose only cap for Scotland came six years ago.
Innes went three up on Steven Rennie with successes at the second, third and fourth. He lost the seventh to a birdie but was able to match his opponent’s birdie 2 at the famous Postage Stamp short eighth hole.
A concession by Rennie at the ninth allowed Innes to regain a three-hole lead as they turned for home.
Innes lost the 10th to a par but birdied the 11th, then the 12th with a magnificent two-iron shot of about 180 yds to within six feet of the stick – despite the wind - and go back to three up.
When the Murcar Links man birdied the 14th to win the match it was his fourth birdie in the space of seven holes.
David Law was two down eighth holes against Euan Brown after taking a double bogey 5 at the Postage Stamp short eighth, which his opponent was able to win with a bogey 4. Law had also bogeyed the seventh to lose that one after birdieing the long fourth to cancel out the loss of the third to a par.
Law got it back to one down with a par at the ninth but slipped back to two down with a bogey at the 12th.
The Aberdonian then produced a great revival under pressure to win the 13th with a birdie and 14th and 15th with pars to be one up for the first time.
Brown hit back with a birdie at the long 16th to square the contest but Law’s par 3 at the short 17th put him back in the lead and the downwind 18th was halved in par 4s, giving Law a place in the semi-final – a great performance by the 18-year-old.
“I’m chuffed that I’ve go so far, considering I came down here not really playing well, just in flashes. But today my driving was good, considering the wind was coming in from a different direction, and my putting was solid,” said Law.
“Great to be playing Brian Innes in the semi-final. That means Aberdeen has got to have a Scottish championship finalist. That can’t be bad.”
Newburgh Golf Club member Grant Carnie was beaten 4 and 3 by the eighth seed, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) without being able to recapture the brilliant form that knocked out the top seed, Gavin Dear yesterday.
“My right heel blister was a bit sore but I couldn’t really blame that at all,” said Carnie whose parents cut short a holiday at Garmouth & Kingston and made the long car journey south to Ayrshire in the early hours of the morning.
“The big difference today was that I struggled off the tee. I had used the driver very well every day up to this morning but not today.”
Carnie won the second with a par to go one up but that was to prove the high point of the tie for him. McNicoll won six of the next seven holes in a row from the fourth with nothing better than pars and helped by hole concession by Carnie at the fifth and sixth to be four up at the turn and five ahead after 10.
It was McNicoll’s turn to concede a hole at the 11th, which reduced his lead to four holes but Carnie bogeyed the next to fall back to five down. McNicoll bogeyed the 13th but halved the short 14th to be four up with four to play. A half in par 4s at the 15th gave McNicoll a 4 and 3 win in a match in which neither player could conjure up a birdie in the rising wind.
“I concentrated on keeping the ball on play, playing safe, and letting my opponent make the mistakes,” said McNicoll who reached the semi-final for the second time.
“I’m a better player than I was when I reach the final two years ago.”
Paul O’Hara, the No 4 seed from Colville Park, bidding to reach the final for a third time, produced five birdies in winning by 4 and 3 against US college circuit player Peter Latimer (St Andrews New).
“I spent an hour or two on the driving range sorting things out last night and I felt happier with my swing today. We’ve played a lot of golf in windy conditions this week and it is hard on your swing,” said Paul, younger brother of European Tour player Steven O’Hara who won the Scottish amateur title at Royal Dornoch in 2000.
Paul O’Hara, three up after only four holes, birdied the second, third, seventh and 11th in establishing and maintaining a three-hole lead over Peter Latimer who had to hole a bunker shot to halve the 11th in birdie 3s.
O’Hara was three up with five to play after the 12th and 13th were halved in pars.

RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS
*Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) bt Grant Carnie (Newburgh) 4 and 3.
*Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) bt Peter Latimer (St Andrews News) 4 and 3.
Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) bt Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 6 and 4.
David Law (Hazlehead) bt Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) 1 hole.

*denotes seeded player.

ends

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