Newburgh player beat top seed Dear and Gibson
Carnie's blistering pace earns him
crack at McNicoll in quarter-finals
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Royal Troon giant-killer Grant Carnie could become a victim of his own blistering pace in the Allied Surveyors Scottish men’s amateur golf championship.
The 20-year-old US college circuit player (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency), from Ellon, Aberdeenshire knocked out the No 1 seed and Walker Cup certainty Gavin Dear at the 19th and then swept into the last eight despite a crippling blister on his right heel.
After surging seven up through the first nine holes of his afternoon fifth-round tie, Carnie, carrying his own clubs over his shoulder, beat young Scott Gibson (Southerness) by 8 and 6 in under three hours without losing a hole - and then said:
“My heel is killing me. I could feel it starting to get sore towards the end of the morning match against Gavin but it wasn’t until I took my socks off in the locker room that I could see what the problem was – a whacking big blister. I don’t know where it’s come from because I’m wearing my normal golf shoes,” said Newburgh-on-Ythan member Carnie whose father Murray runs the Paul Lawrie Foundation for the 1999 Open champion.
“I’ve been to see the first-aid people and they’ve given me something to put on it, so hopefully that, plus a good night’s rest, will see me OK for my quarter-final match on Friday morning. I certainly hope so because I wouldn’t like having to hobble through another tie, especially the most important one in my golfing life so far.”
Carnie has spent 2 ½ years at Brevard College, North Carolina but his performances for its golf team have been so good and so consistent that he’s been head-hunted by the golf coach of the University of South Carolina-Aiken – who play at a higher level – and that’s where Grant will return after the summer holidays.
“I love it in the States. I’m able to golf six or seven times a week right through the winter in Carolina, which is a wee bit more often that I could do in typical Scottish weather.”
It was Carnie’s fairway-splitting, booming drives that were the feature of his 19th
hole win over Murrayshall’s Dear who holed par-saving putts at the 17th and 18th before the North-east man – not in the first 1,200 of the R&A WAGR - finished off the 12th best amateur in the world with an 18ft birdie putt at the first extra hole.
“I’ve always been a good driver of the ball - about 300yd on a links course like this but my short game has come on a ton with the amount of time I’ve been able to work on it in America.”
Did Carnie expect to get to the last eight at Royal Troon, not having got past the second round in his two previous appearances in the ‘Scottish’?
“Of course, not – If I had I wouldn’t be running out of a change of shirts and other stuff as I am! But I’m loving every minute of it. I love the course. It suits my game. Long may it continue,” he said.
Carnie will have to beat two seeds in a row to reach the semi-finals. His next opponent is eighth seed Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie), beaten in the 2007 final and “getting better with every game this week.”
McNicoll won by a surprising big margin – 5 and 3 – over Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), who lost to eventual title-winner Calum Macaulay in last year’s semi-finals at Carnoustie.
“I’m starting to put well. Maybe it’s meeting better players as the week progresses that helps me raise my game,” said Keir who spent four years at Lynn University, Florida, as did his youngster sister Katy, recent winner of the North of Scotland women’s amateur title.
Fourth seed Paul O’Hara bidding to reach his third final since five years – after defeats at 2004 and 2006 – is moving along nicely towards the Saturday 36-hole climax although, by his own admission he did not play as well in afternoon 2 and 1 win over Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) as he did in the morning 7 and 5 victory over the new Scottish boys open stroke play champion, 16-year-old Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie).
“I was three under par in beating Jack but it was tougher in the afternoon, even though I was two holes up early on,” said Paul.
“I feel have more expectation now in this championship than before when I was quite happy to win a few matches. No, I’ll be really disappointed if I don’t make it to the final a third tibme – and win it!”
Drumpellier’s Steven Rennie came from four down with five to play and birdied the 18th to beat Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) in the fourth round. Rennie staged another strong finish to beat Stirling University student James White, the 2006 Scottish boys’ match-play champion.
Unemployed at the moment, the silver lining for Rennie is that he has been able to work on his golf and put a cutting edge on his game. The 29-year-old former Scotland boys cap has come from behind in every tie he has played at Royal Troon this week and he did it once more in winning at the 19th with a par against White.
Rennie trailed all the way after the turn until he squared the game at the 18th and won at the first extra hole.
US college student Peter Latimer from Markinch, near Glenrothes was two up at the turn on Stirling’s Chris Lawton before beating him by 3 and 2.
“It’s all about making pars in a cross wind like this. If I keep holing the putts, I’ll be happy.”
Latimer, a 21-year-old student at Guilford College, North Carolina, has won four competition in the States. He lost a three-way play-off at Lundin links in last year’s East of Scotland Open.
Hazlehead’s David Law, winner of the Scottish boys’ match-play championship at Balgownie in April, is through to the last eight with a 2 and 1 win over another 18-year-old, Oliver Huish, son of the now retired North Berwick club pro, David.
Winning the 13th with a pitch-and-putt after missing the green and the 15th, where he holed an eight-footer, were key holes for Law who went two up, giving him a cushion for losing the 16th before clinching victory at the 17th.
“I’m delighted to have reached the last eight. I’ve not been playing particularly well of late, maybe just in flashes, which you can get away with in match-play,” said David, a protégé of Paul Lawrie.
crack at McNicoll in quarter-finals
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Royal Troon giant-killer Grant Carnie could become a victim of his own blistering pace in the Allied Surveyors Scottish men’s amateur golf championship.
The 20-year-old US college circuit player (pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency), from Ellon, Aberdeenshire knocked out the No 1 seed and Walker Cup certainty Gavin Dear at the 19th and then swept into the last eight despite a crippling blister on his right heel.
After surging seven up through the first nine holes of his afternoon fifth-round tie, Carnie, carrying his own clubs over his shoulder, beat young Scott Gibson (Southerness) by 8 and 6 in under three hours without losing a hole - and then said:
“My heel is killing me. I could feel it starting to get sore towards the end of the morning match against Gavin but it wasn’t until I took my socks off in the locker room that I could see what the problem was – a whacking big blister. I don’t know where it’s come from because I’m wearing my normal golf shoes,” said Newburgh-on-Ythan member Carnie whose father Murray runs the Paul Lawrie Foundation for the 1999 Open champion.
“I’ve been to see the first-aid people and they’ve given me something to put on it, so hopefully that, plus a good night’s rest, will see me OK for my quarter-final match on Friday morning. I certainly hope so because I wouldn’t like having to hobble through another tie, especially the most important one in my golfing life so far.”
Carnie has spent 2 ½ years at Brevard College, North Carolina but his performances for its golf team have been so good and so consistent that he’s been head-hunted by the golf coach of the University of South Carolina-Aiken – who play at a higher level – and that’s where Grant will return after the summer holidays.
“I love it in the States. I’m able to golf six or seven times a week right through the winter in Carolina, which is a wee bit more often that I could do in typical Scottish weather.”
It was Carnie’s fairway-splitting, booming drives that were the feature of his 19th
hole win over Murrayshall’s Dear who holed par-saving putts at the 17th and 18th before the North-east man – not in the first 1,200 of the R&A WAGR - finished off the 12th best amateur in the world with an 18ft birdie putt at the first extra hole.
“I’ve always been a good driver of the ball - about 300yd on a links course like this but my short game has come on a ton with the amount of time I’ve been able to work on it in America.”
Did Carnie expect to get to the last eight at Royal Troon, not having got past the second round in his two previous appearances in the ‘Scottish’?
“Of course, not – If I had I wouldn’t be running out of a change of shirts and other stuff as I am! But I’m loving every minute of it. I love the course. It suits my game. Long may it continue,” he said.
Carnie will have to beat two seeds in a row to reach the semi-finals. His next opponent is eighth seed Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie), beaten in the 2007 final and “getting better with every game this week.”
McNicoll won by a surprising big margin – 5 and 3 – over Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), who lost to eventual title-winner Calum Macaulay in last year’s semi-finals at Carnoustie.
“I’m starting to put well. Maybe it’s meeting better players as the week progresses that helps me raise my game,” said Keir who spent four years at Lynn University, Florida, as did his youngster sister Katy, recent winner of the North of Scotland women’s amateur title.
Fourth seed Paul O’Hara bidding to reach his third final since five years – after defeats at 2004 and 2006 – is moving along nicely towards the Saturday 36-hole climax although, by his own admission he did not play as well in afternoon 2 and 1 win over Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) as he did in the morning 7 and 5 victory over the new Scottish boys open stroke play champion, 16-year-old Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie).
“I was three under par in beating Jack but it was tougher in the afternoon, even though I was two holes up early on,” said Paul.
“I feel have more expectation now in this championship than before when I was quite happy to win a few matches. No, I’ll be really disappointed if I don’t make it to the final a third tibme – and win it!”
Drumpellier’s Steven Rennie came from four down with five to play and birdied the 18th to beat Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) in the fourth round. Rennie staged another strong finish to beat Stirling University student James White, the 2006 Scottish boys’ match-play champion.
Unemployed at the moment, the silver lining for Rennie is that he has been able to work on his golf and put a cutting edge on his game. The 29-year-old former Scotland boys cap has come from behind in every tie he has played at Royal Troon this week and he did it once more in winning at the 19th with a par against White.
Rennie trailed all the way after the turn until he squared the game at the 18th and won at the first extra hole.
US college student Peter Latimer from Markinch, near Glenrothes was two up at the turn on Stirling’s Chris Lawton before beating him by 3 and 2.
“It’s all about making pars in a cross wind like this. If I keep holing the putts, I’ll be happy.”
Latimer, a 21-year-old student at Guilford College, North Carolina, has won four competition in the States. He lost a three-way play-off at Lundin links in last year’s East of Scotland Open.
Hazlehead’s David Law, winner of the Scottish boys’ match-play championship at Balgownie in April, is through to the last eight with a 2 and 1 win over another 18-year-old, Oliver Huish, son of the now retired North Berwick club pro, David.
Winning the 13th with a pitch-and-putt after missing the green and the 15th, where he holed an eight-footer, were key holes for Law who went two up, giving him a cushion for losing the 16th before clinching victory at the 17th.
“I’m delighted to have reached the last eight. I’ve not been playing particularly well of late, maybe just in flashes, which you can get away with in match-play,” said David, a protégé of Paul Lawrie.
David will now meet another comparative youngster, Euan Brown, Ayrshire boys kingpin a year or two ago before he went off to St Mary's University in California. Euan had a very good win against the former Scottish match-play and stroke-play champion, Kevin McAlpine from Alyth by 2 and 1.
The only Ayrshire survivor in the last eight, Brown says he will not be going back to California. Instead he will enrol at Strathclyde University after the summer holidays. Brown got off to a flying start and McAlpine, still coming back to full fitness after a serious knee operation last winter, was left to play catch-up golf - and Royal Troon's testing links, particularly in the strong westerly cross wind is not the best place to indulge in that.
Brown was two up after three holes, and three up at the turn. McAlp;ine cut his deficit to two holes with three to play but Euan held him a bay
Former international Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) ended the Colville Park Golf Club hopes of two members, Paul O’Hara and Ross Kellett, contesting the final. He beat the third seeded Kellett, at the 22nd after a great match in which the North-east player had a one-hole advantage on and off over the first nine holes but there was nothing to choose between the pair after the turn.
Former international Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) ended the Colville Park Golf Club hopes of two members, Paul O’Hara and Ross Kellett, contesting the final. He beat the third seeded Kellett, at the 22nd after a great match in which the North-east player had a one-hole advantage on and off over the first nine holes but there was nothing to choose between the pair after the turn.
FIFTH ROUND RESULTS
Grant Carnie bt Scott Gibson 8 and 6.
*Keir McNicoll bt Greg Paterson 5 and 3.
*Paul O'Hara bt Mark Bookless 2 and 1.
Peter Latimer bt Chris Lawton 3 and 2.
Steven Rennie bt James White at 19th.
Bryan Innes bt *Ross Kellett at 22nd.
Euan Brown bt Kevin McAlpine 2 and 1.
David Law bt Oliver Huish 2 and 1.
FRIDAY MORNING QUARTER-FINALS
8.00 Carnie v McNicoll.
8.15 O'Hara v Latimer.
8.30 Rennie v Innes.
8.45 Brown v Law.
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, July 30, 2009
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