Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon

Jack McDonald (16) reaches last 32 - now he meets seeded Paul O'Hara It was probably no coincidence that a much improved day weatherwise for Day 3 of the Allied Surveyors Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon Golf Club was almost a much improved day for the fortunes of the four surviving seeds. Top seed Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), and Nos 3, 4 and 8 – Colville Park's Ross Kellett and Paul Hara and Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll – all progressed to the last 32 without having to fight their way out of a tight corner or two. Dear, O'Hara and McNicoll are in the top half of the draw while Kellett has the lower half all to himself in seeding terms. Youngest player in Thursday morning's round of the last 32 is 16-year-old Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), pictured above at Royal Troon by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who won the Scottish boys' open stroke-play championship at Ladybank only last Thursday. Young Jack, making his debut in the champion, beat Anglo-Scot Martin Hamilton (Woking) by 3 and 1 in this afternoon's third round. Thursday morning is the big test for McDonald. He meets Paul O'Hara, winner of the Edward Trophy and the Sutherland Chalice this season – and playing rather well at Royal Troon this week. The last two ties of a very long day finished almost in darkness well after 9pm. Oliver Huish (North Berwick), son of retired North Berwick professional David Huish, missed the shortest of putts on the 18th green which would have given him a one-hole victory over Michael Daily (Erskine). But Oliver missed it – and had to go to the 21st before booking his place in the fourth round. Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood) beat Martin Stein (Craigielaw) at the 20th in the other late-late finisher. ALL WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS SECOND ROUND Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) bt Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 2 holes. John Shanks (Irvine Bogside) bt Colin Mundie (Falkirk) 2 and 1. Ed Wood (Crow Wood) bt Stewart McCulloch (McDonald Ellon) at 19th. Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) bt Neil Henderson (Glen) 1 hole. Stephen Machin (Cowglen) bt Martin McCrory (Cathkin Braes) 6 and 5. Scott Borrowman (Dollar) bt William Bremner (Edzell) 2 and 1. Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) bt Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 4 and 3. Chris Conroy (Paisley) bt Michael Watson (Elgin) at 21st. Andrew McLachlan (Bonnyton) bt Callum Trahan (Murcar Links) 1 hole. Stephen Murray (Troon Welbeck) bt Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) 2 and 1. David Henderson (Hamilton) bt Matthew Greig (Bon Accord) 1 hole. Chris Lawton (Stirling) bt Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 1 hole. Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) bt Paul McKellar (East Renfrewshire) 3 and 2. Jack Scott (Deeside) bt Chris Heslip (Rye Hill) 4 and 3. Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) bt David Morrison (Duff House Royal) 1 hole. Alex Main (Thornton) bt Bobby Willan (Machrihanish) 1 hole. Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) bt George Brass (Blairgowrie) 4 and 3. Scott McClory (Bathgate) bt Douglas Hunter (Marriott Dalmahoy) 4 and 3. Kyle Godsman (Hopeman) bt John Duff (Newmachar) 1 hole. James White (Lundin) bt George Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark) 1 hole. Michael Gray (Lanark) bt Andrew Wright (Kilmarnock Barassie) 5 and 3. Andrew McKay (Balmore) bt George Stewart (Murcar Links) 3 and 2. Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) bt Ian Redford (St Andrews New) 4 and 3. Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) bt Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) at 20th. James Hendrick (Pollok) bt Robert McGrory (Singing Hills) 1 hole. Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) bt Liam McGowan (St Andrews New) 7 and 6. ROSS KELLETT (Colville Park) (No 3 seed) bt Fraser Henderson (Craigielaw) 6 and 4. John Burns (Mount Ellen) bt Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 2 and 1. Scott Michie (Thornton) bt Barry Scott (Lochmaben) 4 and 3. Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Andrew Abercrombie (US) 3 and 2. Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) bt Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) at 19th. Stewart Henderson (Hamilton) v Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 3 and 2. Christopher Forman (Peterhead) bt Neil McKinnon (Murcar Links) 2 and 1.Rp Craig Wason (East Renfrewshire) bt Michael Main (Thornton) at 19th. Gavin Lawrie (Prestwick St Nicholas) bt John Miller (Gullane) at 21st. Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) bt Scott Stewart-Cation (Ladybank) 7 and 6. Ben Sloan (Cathkin Braes) bt Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 1 hole. David Law (Hazlehead) bt Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 1 hole. Mark Thomson (Grange) bt Iain Thomson (Powfoot) 2 holes. Daniel Sommerville (St Andrews) bt Keith Shanks (US) 2 and 1. Michael Daily (Erskine) bt Daniel Harrison (Crieff) at 21st. Oliver Huish (North Berwick) bt Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 3 and 1. Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood) bt Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 2 holes. Martin Stein (Craigielaw) bt Jonathan Caldwell (Greenock) 5 and 4. THIRD ROUND Top Half Grant Carnie (Newburgh-on-Ythan) bt James Ross (Royal Burgess) 3 and 2. GAVIN DEAR (Murrayshall) (No 1 seed) bt Euan Kennedy (Stonehaven) 5 and 3. Scott Gibson (Southerness) bt Sean Kennedy (Dumfries & Galloway) 3 and 2. Richard Graham (Hayston) bt Stuart Boyle (Harburn) 3 and 1. Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) bt Angus Cappi (Carnoustie) 2 and 1. Michael Campbell (Renfrew) bt Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 4 and 2. Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) bt Barry Brooks (Meldrum House) 5 and 4. KEIR McNICOLL (Carnoustie) (No 8 seed) bt Jamie MacKay (Kilmarnock Barassie) 2 and 1. PAUL O'HARA (Colville Park) (No 4 seed) bt Myles Cunningham (Craigielaw) 5 and 4. Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Martin Hamilton (Woking) 3 and 1. Bookless bt Shanks 3 and 2. Wood bt Robertson 4 and 3. Machin bt Borrowman 2 and 1. Latimer bt Conroy 1 hole. McLachlan bt Murray 2 and 1. Lawton bt David Henderson 3 and 1. Bottom Half Nicol bt Scott 2 and 2. Rennie bt Main 1 hole. McClory bt Sweeney 5 and 4. White bt Godsman 2 and 1. Gray bt McKay 2 and 1. Innes bt Yates 3 and 1. Hendrick bt Neilson 1 hole. KELLETT (No 3 seed) bt Burns 5 and 3. Brown bt Michie 3 and 2. Stewart Henderson bt Robb 7 and 6. Forman bt Watson 2 and 1. McAlpine bt Lawrie 1 hole. Law bt Sloan 3 and 1. Mark Thomson bt Sommerville 2 and 1. Huish bt Daily at 21st. Jenkins bt Stein at 20th.

Top seed and favourite Gavin Dear with his "local caddie," Troon Ladies scratch player Rachel McQueen. Thursday will be the last day that Rachel is available to caddie for the Murrayshall man because she has golf commitments of her own on Friday. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

Tartan Tour Scoreboard
GULF AIR PRO-CAPTAIN QUALIFIER
Crail Golfing Society, Craighead course
LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 72
66 Ian Taylor (Drumpellier) £424.
66 Gary Forbes (Murcar Links) £300.
66 Alan E Reid (West Lothian) £225.
66 Kenneth Hutton (Downfield) £175.
67 Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) £125.
67 Paul Brookes (Pitreavie), Steven Dunsmore (Falkirk Tryst), Andrew Cooper (Newmachar), Craig Everett (Caldwell).
68 Stuart Kerr (Strathaven).
69 Russell Smith (Gleneagles Hotel), Jamie Stevenson (Braehead), Gordon Law (Uphall), Iain Deacon (Cathkin Braes), Paul Wardell (Whitekirk).
70 Alan T Reid (Murrayshall), Gary McFarlane (Clober), Alan Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy), Martyn Huish (North Berwick).
71 Scott Gourlay (Craigmillar Park), Lee Sutherland (Ballumbie Castle), David Ross Royal Aberdeen), Craig Montgomerie (Roxburghe), Neil Marr (Meldrum House).
72 Martin Goldie (Lochgelly), Mark Pirie (Pitlochry).
73 Anthony Caira (Kirkcaldy), Graham Kingt (Easter Moffat), Sandy Strachan (Deer Park), Grry Reilly (Lochwinnoch), Alastair McLean (Duddingston), Dean Vannet (Peterculter), George Bruce (Westhill).
74 David Gemmell (Abedour), Chjristopehr Nugent (Dunfermline), Sandy Smith (Ladybank), Jonnie Cliff (Murrayfield), Stuart Callan (Bathgate), Richard Fyvie (Pumpherston), Ken Campbell (Machrihanish), Andrew Fullen (Largs), Stewart Davidson (Banchory).
75 Paul Wytrazek (Burntisland) Stuart morrison (Tain).
76 Graeme Lennox (Crail), Cliffe Jones (Glencorse).