No place like home for Watson: through to Mid-am last four

Former British amateur champion Craig Watson is through to Monday morning’s semi-finals of the Scottish mid-amateur golf championship – of which he is proud to have been the winner of its inaugural staging in 1994.
This year’s event is being played over Watson’s home course at East Renfrewshire which should make him red-hot favourite to regain the title after 16 years …. but match-play is never as predicatable as that.
Watson qualified from the 36-hole stroke-play test as the No 2 seed but he was almost KO’d in the first round of the match-play by the No 15 qualifier, Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood). Watson scrambled through at the 19th.
He had a somewhat easier passage in the quarter-finals, beating Andrew McKay (Balmore), the No 10 qualifier, by 5 and 4 after being four up on the sixth tee.
Watson now plays Paul Moultrie (Royal Troon), the No 6 seed, for a place in the afternoon final.
The other semi-final features New Zealander Scott Ritchie, the No 9 qualifier, who beat the top seed, Paul Alexander (Caldwell) by one hole in the quarters, and Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle), the No 4 seed.

SCOTTISH MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Match-play results
FIRST ROUND
Paul Alexander (Caldwell) bt Murray Stewart (Ranfurly Castle) 5 and 4.
Scott Ritchie (NZ) bt Clark Riddick (Southerness) 3 and 1
Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) bt Garry Duncan (Carnoustie Caledonian) 4 and 3.
Ben Renfrew (Wynyard) bt Chris Lawton (Falkirk Tryst) 2 holes.
Paul Moultrie (Royal Troon) bt Gordon Young (East Renfrewshire) 4 and 3.]
Michael Grunwell (Powfoot) bt Ross Coull (Edzell) 2 and 1.
Andrew McKay (Balmore) bt Alistair Serrels (Royal Montrose0 5 and 4.
Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire)( bt Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood) at 19th.
QUARTER-FINALS
Ritchie bt Alexander 1 hole.
Hamilton bt Renfrew 1 hole.
Moultrie bt Grunwell 2 and 1.
Watson bt McKay 4 and 2.