Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon

Seeded James Byrne, Michael

Stewart fall in first round

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

One day gone - and two seeds, James Byrne (Banchory) and Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), gone as well!

Byrne, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, arguably the form man coming into the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon, lived down to his worst fears, beaten in the first round by local man Michael Smyth on the 18th green.

Arizona State University student Byrne, winner of back-to-back Order of Merit 72-holers, the Tennant Cup and the East of Scotland Open, joint runner-up in the Sutherland Chalice and second in an Open regional qualifier. James, who had former European Tour winner Dean Robertson as his caddie, was also No 105 in the most recent R&A WAGR with only Gavin Dear (No 13) and Ross Kellett (No 89) ahead of him.

But all of that counted for nothing in a match-play encounter.

It was 20-year-old Byrne himself who recalled on the eve of this championship that he had crashed out in the first round of it in 2008 and 2007. Deja vu?

Michael Smyth is himself a former US student golfer although Darton College does not have quite the same standing in American golfing terms as Arizona State University!

But it's results that count and Smyth recovered from a horrid start which saw him two down after three but all square just as quickly by winning the fourth and fifth.

Byrne looked to have gained the initiative again when he was two up at the turn but he could not shake off his determined and capable opponent who had squared the contest by the 18th tee.

Byrne drove into the rough and Smyth won the hole and the match with a par 4.

Smyth said later: “I can’t quite believe it. My knowledge of the course undoubtedly helped me today and I did feel confident ahead of the game but it was tight at the last and I am very glad to be through.”

Byrne was the No 5 seed and the No 6 seed, Michael Stewart from the local Welbeck club, also failed to rise to the occasion over the Royal Troon championship links which are a test for the best .... without having to worry about what an opponent is doing!

Stewart, only 19, was knocked out, 4 and 3, by a man old enough at 53 to be his father, Paul McKellar, a Scotland cap of yesteryear who was beaten finalist in the "Scottish" and the British amateur championship, both at Royal Troon, in the late 1970s.

McKellar, who has been a member at Royal Troon for the past three years, has a handicap of +2 which underlines the fact that he has retained his class down through the years. Certainly not the kind of unseeded opponent you want to face in your first match.

Stewart, last year's Scottish boys' match-play champion and runner-up to Keir McNicoll in the 2008 St Andrews Links Trophy, did not get off to the best of starts, bogeying the first two holes and losing both of them but he did get back on terms before losing the ninth, which was the beginning of the end for the East Tennessee State University student.

McKellar went three up with a 5 at the 12th and finished his opponent off in style with a birdie at the 15th.

“I felt I was starting to get my game together after the 13th and found my rhythm for the first time. I just need to keep that going and we will see what happens then,” said McKellar.

The exit of the Nos 5 and 6 seeds helps the chances of the two Colville Park players who are Nos 4 and 3 seeds, Paul O'Hara and Ross Kellett. In theory, but probably not in reality, both men should have a clear run through to the semi-finals, given that the eight seeds in any tournament should meet in the quarter-finals.
Edward Trophy and Sutherland Chalice winner Paul O’Hara won by 5 and 3 over the new Scottish Under-16 champion Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) who finished a highly creditable fourth in the European Young Masters near Paris on Saturday. Forrest probably needed just a little longer to get over that taxing tournament and the trip home.

The other two seeds who won through were top man Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), playing competitively at Royal Troon for the first time and relying on his local caddie and Ayrshire county player , Rachael McQueen (Troon Ladies) to read the lines of the putts, and No 8 seed Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) who was beaten finalist in this championship in 2007 at Prestwick. Both attended Lynn University at Boca Raton, Florida, where Keir was the more successful in US college play.

Still good golfing buddies, they returned to Florida in December to play in the Dixie Amateur in which, of course, Dear confirmed just how much he has improved since his student days by becoming the first Scot to win the prestigious event.

Mark Hillson (Craigielaw), last Scot standing in the British amateur championship at Formby this year - he reached the quarter-finals - was beaten 2 and 1 by John Shanks (Irvine Bogside), which must rank as one of the more surprise results of the opening day.

Shanks, help by some inspired putting, was five up after five holes in three-under-par figures.

Hillson has an R&A WAGR of No 189 which puts him above three men who were seeded for this week's championship - McNicoll (No 430), Steven McEwan (Caprington) (No 277) and the now departed Michael Stewart (No 209).

But, like James Byrne, Hillson could not prove he was the better man on the day in one-on-one match-play "conflict."

SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE FIRST DAY RESULTS IN THE ALLIED SURVEYORS SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Picture postcard beauty of the Dave Thomas-designed Spey Valley course at Aviemore.

Paul Lawrie 'there to be shot at' in Challenge

Tour event over Spey Valley at Aviemore

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Former Open Champion Paul Lawrie will bring his vast experience to the European Challenge Tour this week when he headlines the field in the Scottish Hydro Challenge over the Macdonald Spey Valley course at Aviemore.
It will be Lawrie’s first Challenge Tour appearance in 15 years - and some 17 years after he claimed his only other Challenge Tour title to date, the Scottish Brewers Championship - but he hopes to have an inside knowledge of the course, having played there on a family trip last summer.
“I’m really looking forward to playing the Scottish Challenge, particularly as I know the Spey Valley course very well, having played quite a bit of golf there whilst on holiday last year,” said Lawrie, who in 1999 overturned a 10-shot deficit on the final day at Carnoustie to win The Open Championship.
“In terms of preparation and play, I’m going to treat it like a normal week on The European Tour. I’m certainly not going up there on holiday – I’m going there to win, because I don’t play in tournaments unless I feel I can win them.
“I’ll be up there to do a job, and I won’t be happy unless I come home with the trophy. I’ll be there to be shot at by the Challenge Tour boys, which is great. It’s a nice feeling and I’m going to enjoy the challenge.”
The Scot will have eldest son Craig as his caddie for the first time in a competitive tournament and added: “The whole family are coming up. Craig’s very excited about his role, although he might see a different side to his father than the one he’s become used to! Mind you, I don’t think I’ll be as harsh with him as I am with my regular caddie Andy Forsyth – I think his mum might have something to say about it if I was!”
Lawrie, a five-time champion on The European Tour, will be aiming to be the first Scottish winner of the tournament after Taco Remkes of the Netherlands triumphed last year to follow Englishmen Robert Dinwiddie and Sam Walker in 2007 and 2006 respectively.

Welshman Rhys Davies, the latest Challenge Tour champion who won the SWALEC Wales Challenge last weekend, will also now be travelling to Scotland after pulling out of an Asian Tour event in Brunei.

Former Walker Cup player Davies will be joined by James Morrison, whom he beat in a play-off to win in Wales, and his fellow Englishman Andrew Butterfield, the current Challenge Tour Rankings leader, as well as Aberdonian Greig Hutcheon who will help bolster the host nation’s challenge.
The Scottish Challenge will again be the focal point of EventScotland’s support of the Challenge Tour and professional golf in Scotland ahead of The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Lawrie said: “Tournaments like the Scottish Challenge are crucial in raising the profile not only of the Challenge Tour, but also of tournament golf in Scotland in general as we look ahead to The Ryder Cup in five years’ time.
“I wish I’d played the Scottish Challenge in 2006 when it was at Murcar Links near Aberdeen, but unfortunately it was up against The European Open, which is obviously a massive event. But whenever possible, I think it’s important that guys from the main Tour play in tournaments in our own country like the Scottish Challenge.”
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have a player of Paul’s quality competing at the Scottish Challenge. It is not every day we welcome a Major Champion onto the Challenge Tour, so we should be grateful Paul has taken time out of his hectic schedule to support our event.”
The Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Club, which is set against the backdrop of the Cairngorm mountain range, is considered one of the Macdonald Hotel group’s foremost venues.
The 7,100 yard, par 72 course, designed by Dave Thomas, includes a signature fifth hole which, at 635 yards, is officially the longest hole in Scotland.

Dufner, Kim and Goosen share lead after

three rounds of the rain-hit Canadian Open

Jason Dufner sank a 10ft putt for an eagle 3 at the long 18th today for a share of the Candian Open champion after three rounds of the bad weather-plagued tournament at the almost waterlogged Glen Abbey Golf Club course in Ontario.
Dufner, Anthony Kim and South African Retief Goosen are the men jointly in the pole position with 18 holes to play ... hopefully completed later today (local time).
Dufner finished off a 2-under-par 70 to match Kim (66) and Retief Goosen (67) at 15 under par. Michael Letzig (66), Bob Estes (68) and Nathan Green (69) were 14 under.
Rain and lightning gave way to sun today in an event awash with nearly five inches of rain since play started Thursday.
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• Leaderboard
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Mike Weir, trying to become the first Canadian winner since Pat Fletcher in 1954, was 9 under after a third-round 69. On Sunday, he had a hole-in-one and took a penalty stroke for an infraction Saturday on the final hole of the second round. Weir wasn't disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
"If a committee makes a decision or an error we can certainly correct it," said Dean Ryan, a Royal Canadian Golf Association rules official.

Young seeds James Byrne, Michael Stewart lose on opening day

Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship
ROYAL TROON GOLF CLUB

FIRST ROUND RESULTS
James Ross (Royal Burgess) bt Allan McKie (Glencruitten) 4 and 3.
Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) bt Alistair Lauder (Paisley) 2 and 1.
Haig Hamilton (Colville Park) bt David Mitchell (Leven Th) 2 and 1.
Grant Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan) bt Stuart Graham (Blairgowrie) 3 and 2.
Thomas Rennie (Deeside) bt Ben Irving (Dumfries & Co) 5 and 4.
GAVIN DEAR (Murrayshall) (No 1 seed) bt Joe Lockie (Tantallon) 6 and 5.
Euan Kennedy (Stonehaven) bt Marcello Russo (Craigielaw) at 21st.
Russell Thornton (US) bt Stuart Ballingall (Dunston Hall) 6 and 5.

Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) bt Sam McLaren (King James VI).
Scott Gibson (Southerness) bt Stephen Carruthers (Pitlochry) 1 hole.
Jordan McColl (Scotscraig) bt David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 2 holes.
Sean Kennedy (Dumfries & Galloway) bt Tom Blennerhassett (Marriott Dalmahoy) 2 and 1.
Richard Graham (Hayston) bt Graeme Rodger (Cambuslang) 6 and 5.
John Wybar (Aldeburgh) bt Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 3 and 2.
Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) bt Gary Page (Balbirnie Park) 2 and 1.
Stuart Boyle (Harburn) bt Les Pirie (Millport) 8 and 6.

Gregor Munro (Ranfurly Castle) bt Daniel Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle) 3 and 1.
Angus Cappi (Carnoustie) bt Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 3 and 2.
Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) bt Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) at 19th.
Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) bt Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) 6 and 4.
Michael Campbell (Renfrew) bt Graeme Belch (Haggs Castle) 4 and 3
Colin Heuchan (Colvend) bt Chris Gilbert (Cruden Bay) 6 and 5.
Barry Lindsay (Mount Ellen) bt Lawrie Clark (Kinghorn) 6 and 5.
Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) bt James Aitken (Alloa) 3 and 2.

Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) bt Dean Yeats (Nigg Bay) 6 and 5.
Barry Brooks (Meldrum House) bt Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) 6 and 5.
Stephen Spence (Irvine Bogside) bt Barry McDermott (Leven GS) 3 and 1.
Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) bt David Simpson (Crieff) 5 and 3.
Scott Moffat (Alloa) bt David Brown (Carluke) 1 hole.
Jamie MacKay (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Conor O'Neil (Glasgow) 3 and 2.
KEIR McNICOLL (Carnoustie) (No 8 seed) bt Greg Ingram (Inverurie) 2 and 1.
Neil McBride (Cowglen) bt Steven Buchan (Royal Aberdeen) 4 and 2.

PAUL O'HARA (Colville Park) (No 4 seed) bt Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 5 and 3.
Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) bt Colin Baird (Bothwell Castle) 1 hole.
Garry Duncan (Carnoustie Caledonia) bt Paul McPhee (King James VI) 3 and 2.
Myles Cunningham (Craigielaw) bt Christopher Wedgeworth (Cowglen) 4 and 3.
Munro Ferries (Tain) bt James Bunch (Prestwick) 3 and 2.
Jack McDonald (Kimarnock Barrassie) bt Graeme Noblett (Lenzie) 1 hole.
Mark Collin (Eyemouth) bt Stuart McKendrick (Dunkeld & Birnam) 1 hole.
Martin Hamilton (Woking) bt Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 1 hole.

Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) bt Calum Stewart (Brora) 2 and 1.
Ross Crowe (Westerhope) bt Garry Wood (Crow Wood) 1 hole.-
John Shanks (Irvine Bogside) bt Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 2 and 1.
Colin Mundie (Falkirk) bt Richard Craig (Merchants of Edinburgh) 7 and 5.
Stewart McCulloch (McDonald Ellon) bt Richard Gill (Craigmillar Park) 2 and 1.
Ed Wood (Crow Wood) bt Graeme Millar (Swanston New) 6 and 5.
Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) bt Robert Ferguson (Royal Troon) 3 and 2.
Neil Henderson (Glen) bt Nick Robson (Meldrum House) 2 and 1.

Stephen Machin (Cowglen) bt John Forbes (Inverness) 6 and 5.
Martin McCrory (Cathkin Braes) bt Greg Richards (Kingsknowe) 3 and 2.
William Bremner (Edzell) bt Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 3 and 2.
Scott Borrowman (Dollar) bt Kristofer Harper (Carnoustie) 1 hole.
Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) bt Stephen Buckley (Royal Burgess) at 19th.
Paul Shields (Kirkhill) bt Stephen Clark (US) 2 and 1.
Michael Watson (Elgin) bt Ross Bell (Downfield) 5 and 4.
Chris Conroy (Paisley) bt James McGroarty (Cardross) 4 and 3.

Andrew McLachlan (Bonnyton) bt Kenneth Anderson (Falkirk Carmuirs) 1 hole.
Callum Trahan (Murcar Links) bt David Connolly (Woking) 7 and 5.
Stephen Murray (Troon Welbeck) bt Colin Peddie (Kirkintilloch) 3 and 1.
Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) bt JAMES BYRNE (Banchory), No 5 seed, 1 hole.
Matthew Greig (Bon Accord) bt Gordon Sangster (Cathkin Braes) 4 and 3.
David Henderson (Hamilton) bt Martin Lawrence (Newmachar) 1 hole.
Chris Lawton (Stirling) bt David Willacy (Powfoot) 8 and 7.
Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) bt Gordon Miller (Cawder) at 19th.

Paul McKellar (East Renfrewshire) bt MICHAEL STEWART (Troon Welbeck), the No 6 seed, 4 and 3.
Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) bt Ian Allan (Moray) 1 hole.
Christopher Mailey (Royal Dornoch) v Chris Heslip (Rye Hill) bt Christopher Mailey (Royal Dornoch) at 20th.
Jack Scott (Deeside) bt Allan Thomson (Ayr Belleisle) 1 hole.
Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) bt Aaron Howard (Murrayshall) 1 hole.
David Morrison (Duff House Royal) bt Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 3 and 2.
Bobby Willan (Machrihanish) bt Rodger Clarke (Moray) 2 and 1.
Alex Main (Thornton) bt Adam Hillson (Garmouth & Kingston) 5 and 4.

George Brass (Blairgowrie) bt Keith Turnbull (Larkhall) 6 and 5.
Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) bt James Smart (Paisley) 3 and 1.

Bathgate win Lothians team title

20 years after last victory

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Exactly 20 years after last winning the event, Bathgate have claimed the Lothians team tournament title, thanks to a polished all-round performance from their four players at Turnhouse and Murrayfield.
Represented by Stuart Crookston, Ged O'Hara, Peter McClory and Stuart Mungall, the West Lothian club posted a team total of 280 to win by four shots from Silverknowes, with Greenburn and Pumpherston a futher two strokes adrift in joint-third.
Crookston, a re-instated amateur who reached the last eight in the Lothians Championship at Craigielaw earlier in the year, led the way for the winners at Turnhouse with a one-over 70, closely followed by O'Hara on 71.
Over at Murrayfield, McClory shot a fine 68, two-under, with Mungall doing his bit there, too, with a 71.
Crookston opened with two birdies at Turnhouse and McClory did likewise at Murrayfield, following a 20-footer at the first by chipping in at the next.
Graham Robertson shot a 67 for Silverknowes at Turnhouse, with Tom Caldwell leading the way for them with a 68 at Murrayfield.
The best individual effort of the day came from Carrickvale's Craig Elliot, who finished 2-4 for a five-under-par 64 at Turnhouse.
Elliot teamed up with the other members of Carrickvale's Dispatch Trophy-winning team – David Ewen, Allyn Dick and Darren Coyle – to finish joint-11th on 294.
The prize for the leading non course-owning club went to George Heriot's FP after they pipped old rivals Watsonians by a single shot.
Represented by Ron Bradly, Stewart Heggie, Dougie Livingstone and John Liddel, Heriot's finished on 296, one fewer than Watsonians after Richard Johnston lost a ball down the last at Turnhouse.

Dunbartonshire and Lanarkshire shared the points in a 4-4 draw at a wet Dougalston yesterday. Biggest shock was the defeat of last week's silver medal winner in the Scottish boys' stroke-play championship, Graeme Duncan of Shotts although he did have six birdies in his round against Chris McKeown of Milngavie. McKeown won by 3 and 2.
Details:
UNDER-16s
P McCarron (Windyhill) halved with Alan Welsh (Torrance House).
C McKeown (Milngavie) bt Graeme Duncan (Shotts) 3 and 2.
G Meechan (Dullatur) halved with Ian Anderson (Colville Park).
S Thistleton (Hilton Park) lost to Jordan Gallagher (Crow Wood) 6 and 5.
UNDER-18s
A Carrick (Douglas Park) bt Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 1 hole.
C Deeney (Hilton Park) lost to Eamon Bradley (Mt Ellen) 6 and 5.
G Roger (Clober) bt James Steven (Kirkhill) 5 and 4.
D Muir (Hayston) lost to Craig Forbes (Carnwath) 2 and 1.

SHIELDS' BOYS' CAP RULES HIM OUT OF LANARKSHIRE TEAM
Paul Shields of Kirkhill has had to withdraw from the Lanarkshire six-man team to play Lothians at Mortonhall in a Scottish area team championship tie on Sunday, August 2 as he is playing for Scotland next week in the boys' home internationals at at Sunningdale Golf Club's New Course (August 4 to 6). He has been replaced with the in-form Ed Wood of Crow Wood.

It's Monday - and they've still to complete

three rounds in rain-hit Canadian Open

It's Monday at Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville in Ontario - but we still don't know the winner of this past weekend's US PGA Tour event, the RBC Canadian Open.
Jason Dufner played six holes in one under par on Sunday to be at the top of the leader board before play was washed out because of the latest round of heavy rain and lightning, forcing the tournament to at least a fifth day.
"Instead of reading the grain, you have to read the current out there," said Mike Weir, the Canadian star who had a hole-in-one and was caught up in a confusing rules situation involving his second shot on the 18th hole Saturday.
Dufner, the second-round leader after rounds of 68 and 63 on the saturated Glen Abbey course, had a one-stroke lead over Anthony Kim and Jerry Kelly. Kim was four under after nine holes in the third round, and Kelly was one under through six.
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RELATED LINKS
Leaderboard: Scores
Tournament director on weather
Jerry Kelly on rain delays
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"None of the players can control what's going on," Dufner said. "I think everybody wants to get out there and play and compete and try to win this golf tournament."
The players are scheduled to resume play at 7:30 a.m. Monday (local time), the first time the tournament has gone past the weekend since 1988.
US PGA Tour officials still hope to complete four rounds in the event drenched by about 5 inches of rain in four days.
Play began Sunday morning in sunny conditions, but lightning forced the players off the course at 10:15 a.m. After another round of lightning and heavy rain and hours trying to get the layout in shape to resume, play was called for the day at 4:25 p.m.
"We've had some good times in the locker room," Kelly said. "I get up in the kitchen a lot, which I love. Have a good time with all those guys in the kitchen.
"This way you get to know a lot of the players, too. It's time that you're really not grouped together just passing each other, saying hello or eating. You're actually hanging out for hour upon hour. So it's actually a pretty good time in that respect. But it's tough on the golf. It's tough stopping and starting."
Scott Verplank was two strokes back at 12 under along with Retief Goosen, Bob Estes, Peter Tomasulo and Michael Letzig. Verplank, the 2001 winner at Royal Montreal, tied for second behind Ken Green in the 1988 Monday finish at Glen Abbey.
Weir, trying to become the first Canadian winner since Pat Fletcher in 1954, was 9 under -- including a penalty stroke for the infraction at the end of his round Saturday -- with seven holes left in the third round.
Weir's ball moved before he played the shot, but he was unsure whether he had addressed the ball or caused it to move. After calling for a ruling, he replaced the ball in its original location and took a one-stroke penalty.
Before Weir signed his scorecard, the penalty stroke was rescinded after he and the rules committee reviewed video and determined it was inconclusive whether he caused the ball to move. On Sunday, additional video was reviewed, and Weir again assessed himself a one-stroke penalty for causing the ball to move, even though it was still inconclusive whether he addressed the ball.
"Even though I don't think I did, I guess there's that gray-area possibility I could have," Weir said. "So with that, I didn't feel comfortable myself not taking it."
Weir holed a 4-iron shot on the 200-yard fourth hole. The ace was the seventh of the week, the most since the tour began keeping extensive records in 1971. There were five in the 2004 John Deere Classic.
Did he buy a round of drinks for the guys in the locker room?
"I was told that today by a lot of players," Weir said. "So OK. It's good drinking weather right now."