DAVID LAW ON TRAIL OF A SCOTTISH AYRSHIRE REPEAT

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
By ROSS DUNCAN
Hazlehead’s David Law stayed on course for a tilt at his second Scottish Amateur Championship title on the Ayrshire coast after an impressive fifth round win over SGU Order of Merit No 2 Graeme Robertson.

Law, who won the championship two years ago at nearby Royal Troon, underlined his impressive match play credentials against University of Stirling student Robertson, winning a closely fought contest 2 and 1 to set up a quarter-final joust with Glen’s Neil Henderson.

The 20-year-old Aberdonian was never behind in the match, turning the screw with a crucial hole-winning up and down from the bunker on the 12th before a birdie at the short 13th stretched his lead to three. Robertson narrowed the gap to two with a par at 16, but a half in 5 at the 17th won the match for Law.

“It was quite a scrappy game and we both hit a few loose shots, but I stuck to my game plan and did what I needed to do,” admitted Law, winner of the Northern Amateur Match Play in South Africa earlier this season.

“My ball striking has been good all week and I feel really confident with my short game in match play. I’ve holed some really good putts which have kept me in games at crucial times. I spent a bit of time with Paul Lawrie last week working on my putting and that’s paid off.” he added.

Henderson, a former Junior Champion of Champions now studying at Old Dominion University in the States, ended the challenge of Southerness 18-year-old Scott Gibson with a one-hole win, while fellow Lothians man James Ross, now studying at Houston University, is also through after seeing off Bobby Rushford 2 and 1.

“I felt pretty relaxed early on and was four under through nine to be two up, so we were both playing well. Bobby hit back at me after the turn and it was nip and tuck after that. I got a great up and down from the bunker at the 16th to get a half which was really important,” said Ross.

McDonald’s Adam Dunton, a member of the North East team who reached the final of the Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship at Prestwick earlier this season, will be Ross’s next opponent after he edged out Kyle McClung by one hole.

Former assistant professional Paul Alexander, by some way the oldest player left in the field aged 37, beat Conor O’Neil by two holes, to reach the quarter-finals on his first ever appearance in the championship. He’ll face Dunbar 18-year-old Daniel Kay, who put in an excellent performance to ease past Kingsknowe’s Greg Richards.

The fourth quarter-final will be between Scotland team-mates James White and James Byrne. White, who won the 2006 Scottish Boys Championship at West Kilbride in Ayrshire, played “solid, steady golf” in a 3 and 2 win over Scott Borrowman (Dollar) while Byrne enjoyed a great tussle with Turnberry’s Scott Brown, eventually carving out a 3 and 1 win after the game was delayed by an hour following Brown’s mammoth 23rd hole win earlier in the day.

“I played really well this afternoon as that’s been the most difficult conditions of the week. It’s a tough course with a wind like that and I had to be on my game as Scott played some really good golf,” said Byrne, who is eyeing a GB&I Walker Cup place when the side is announced next month.

“This course is all about position. It’s not a bombers course and key for me this week has been staying out of bunkers.”

Tomorrow’s quarter-finals commence at 0800 with the afternoon semi-finals teeing off at 1245 ad 1300.

Click here for all the fifth round hole-by-hole scores

THURSDAY MORNING QUARTER-FINALS

James Ross (Royal Burgess) v Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon)
Neil Henderson (The Glen) v DAVID LAW (Hazlehead).
Paul Alexander (Caldwell) v Daniel Kay (Dunbar).
JAMES WHITE (Lundin) v JAMES BYRNE (Banchory).

Seeded players in capital letters