TWO SCOTS IN LAST EIGHT OF AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT HILLSIDE

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINALISTS

Sebastien Gros (France) v Joakim Mikkelson (Norway)

Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) v Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City)

Antonio Nortal (Spain) v Bryden Macpherson (Australia)

Greg Paterson (St Andrews) v Alastair Jones (Radyr

FROM THE R AND A WEBSITE
Hillside, Southport: Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad members Tom Lewis and Michael Stewart will go head-to-head tomorrow, for a semi-final berth in the 2011 Amateur Championship.
With two days of the Championship remaining, the place in The Open at Royal St George’s and the invitation to the Masters Tournament that await this week’s winner are just three matches away.
Twenty-year-old Englishman Lewis, who plays at Welwyn Garden City, the home club of Sir Nick Faldo, reached the last eight by virtue of a resounding 6 and 4 victory over world number 13 Andrew Sullivan. In doing so, he has gone one better than he did in 2010 at Muirfield, when he lost in the fourth round to eventual winner Jin Jeong.
Sullivan, another member of the 2011 GB and I Walker Cup squad, had progressed to the last 16 in style, with a 5 and 4 victory over Kenny Subregis of France, but he could not find the same form and succumbed to Lewis, who had beaten him 3 and 2 in the quarter-finals of the English Amateur Championship, last year.

“I thought it was going to be a really tough, close match,” said the 2009 Boys Amateur Champion, “but Andy struggled a bit out there and I played pretty solid. I’m not hitting it quite as well as I know I can, but I’m still confident going into the quarters.

"It was nice to have a more comfortable match this afternoon, because it was a bit too close this morning,” said Lewis, referring to the last-32 match against David Booth, which Lewis won by one hole after a birdie-three at the 437-yard 18th.
Stewart, meanwhile, earned a quarter-final place with a two-hole win against Philipp Fendt of Austria. The 21-year-old Scot was never down during the match, despite it going all the way to the 18th.
“I was getting to the point where I thought I have to do something here, then I made birdies on nine and 11 to get my nose in front,” said Stewart, who defeated Lewis 3 and 1, while representing Scotland at last year’s Home Internationals.
“Philipp will be disappointed with the way he played, but he hung in there and putted really well, and his short game was immaculate.
“My ball striking has improved as the week has gone on, and I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable. It’s going to be a really good game with Tom – I will be playing, in my opinion, with the best tee to green golfer in amateur golf. I’m just going to try and frustrate him.
“This and the US Amateur are the two most important events in the calendar. If you win the Amateur Championship, it’s life-changing,” he added.
After needing 24 holes to reach the last 16, Alastair Jones won his afternoon match by two holes to reach the quarter-finals, as did France’s Sebastian Gros, at the 19th; Joakim Mikkelson of Norway, 4 and 2; and Spaniard Antonio Hortal, 2 and 1.
Scot Greg Paterson also made his way through, courtesy of a 7 and 6 victory over England’s Jack Bartlett, while Bryden Macpherson progressed, after defeating Marc Dobias of Switzerland 2 and 1.
“It means a lot to be here,” said the Australian. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most prestigious, and it’s called the Amateur Championship for a reason: This is it! “So, to be in the hunt still is fantastic.”


Full results from the second day of match play, along with tomorrow's draw, can be found by

CLICKING HERE


Live, hole-by-hole scores from the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be available on the http://www.randa.org/ website throughout the day.

TEE TIMES FOR FINAL ROUND OF PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL

DEESIDE GOLF CLUB - FRIDAY MORNING


8:40 Greg McBain, Mark Loftus


8:51 Heather MacRae, Peter Smith, Craig Gordon


9:02 Lee Vannet, Michael Patterson, Stephen McAllister


9:13 Alastair Love, Daniel Wood, Paul Wardell


9:24 Robert Arnott, Malcolm Isaacs, David Law (Am)


9:35 David Patrick, Gareth Wright, Scott Henderson

9:46 Keir McNicol, Jason McCreadie, Stewart Savage


9:57 Eric Ramsay, Stephen Gray, Christopher Currie


10:08 Graham Fox, Paul McKechnie, Lindsay Mann


10:19 Paul O'Hara, Kenneth Hutton, Ross Cameron


10:30 Greig Hutcheon, Graeme Brown, Paul Lawrie


10:41 Andrew McArthur, Mark Kerr, Kenny Ferrie

SCROLL DOWN FOR A REPORT OF TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

 AND ALL THE SCORES.

BIRDIE SHOOT-OUT FOR PAUL LAWRIE INVITATIONAL £4,000 PRIZE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
It’s the golfing equivalent of Gunfight at the OK Coral when the Paul Lawrie Invitational tournament comes to the boil today (Friday) with the final round over a Deeside, Aberdeen parkland course that has yielded birdies galore over the past two days.
The three men in the shoot-out are all on the eight-under-par 132 mark – European Tour man Kenny Ferrie from the North-east of England, rookie pro from Edinburg Mark Kerr, and Challenge Tour regular Andrew McArthur who won the Scottish amateur title when he played out of Windyhill Golf Club.
Ferrie and Kerr have traded punch for punch over the first two rounds – 67 and 65.
McArthur muscled up alongside them with a course record eight-under-par 62 in the second round.
Supermac had eight birdies in a bogey-free round with birdies at the second, third, eighth, ninth, 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th in halves of 32 and 30 – enough to make the Deeside members choke on their gin-and-tonics.
Mine host Paul Lawrie – he is an honorary member at Deeside Golf Club and lives less than half a mile from the Bieldside course – is lying joint fourth on 135 after shooting a second-day 65. Also on 135 is Montrose’s Graeme Brown.
And man in form Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) is not out of it after a pair of 68s for 136 leaves him four shots off the pace.
Of course you have to hit it straight to score and Lindsay Mann didn’t in the second round. Joint leader overnight, the former Walker Cup player from Carnoustie dropped back to 138 with a 71 which included a triple bogey 8 and a double bogey 6.
Thirty six players made the cut with 36-hole aggregates of 143 or better.
The qualifiers included Downfield assistant Heather MacRae and her boss Ken Hutton.
QUALIFIERS FOR FINAL ROUND
Par 140 (2x70)
132 Kenny Ferrie (unatt) 67 65, Mark Kerr (Murrayfield) 67 65, Andrew McArthur (unatt) 70 62.
135 Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) 70 65, Paul Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) 70 65.
136 Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon) 68 68, Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) 68 68,.
137 Ken Hutton (Downfield) 68 69.
138 Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) 67 71, Paul O’Hara (unatt) 70 68.
139 Graham Fox (East Kilbride) 70 69, Paul McKechnie (Hayston) 71 68.
140 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) 68 72, Stephen Gray (Hayston) 70 70, Christopher Currie (Caldwell) 71 69, Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie) 73 67
141 David Law (Hazlehead) (am) 68 73, Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar) 68 73, David Patrick (Elie) 70 71, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 71 70, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 72 69, Gareth Wrigt (West Linton) 72 69, Alastair Love (St Andrews) 73 69, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 74 67.
142 Stephen McAllister (Renaissance Club) 69 73, Daniel Wood (Eyemoouth) 70 72, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) 71 71, Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) 72 70, Michael Patterson (unatt) 73 69.
143 Heather MacRae (Downfield) 70 73, Mark Loftus (Adam Hunter Golf) 70 73, Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch) 72 71, Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Links) 72 71, Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC) 72 71, Peter Smith (Deeside) 75 68.
MISSED THE CUT
144 Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links) 70 74, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 70 74, David Orr (East Renfrewshire) 71 73, James McKinnon (Irvine) 72 72, Creaig Ronald (Carluke) 75 69.
145 Sean Lawrie (Portlethen) (am) 71 74, Scott McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle) 71 74, Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 71 74, Christopher Robinson (Dumfries and Galloway) 74 71, William Colquhoun (Dundonald Links) 75 70.
146 David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 70 76, Ian Bratton (Newburgh on Ythan) 72 74, Dean Vannet (Peterculter) 73 73, Stuart Williamson (West Kilbride) 75 71, Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) 77 69, Chris Kelly (Cawder) 77 69.
147 Ross Dixon (Dumfries and Galloway) 75 72.
148 Stephen Lamb (Cardrona) 75 73, Scott Herald (Adam Hunter Golf) 76 72.
149 Samuel Cairns (Colville Park) 78 71.
150 Andrew Rollo (Moray) 74 76, Mark King (Kingsfield) 75 75, Graeme Nethercott (Deeside) 77 73.
151 James McGhee (Duddingston) 80 71.
152 Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) 73 79.
154 Steven Duncan (unatt) 74 80, Gareth Hardy (Ayr Belleisle) 78 76, David Thomson (Carnegie) 79 75.
155 Colin Nelson (MacKenzie Shop) 79 76, Graham Forbes (Gourock) 80 75..
Withdrew: Alan Reid 76 -.

TEE TIMES FOR FINAL ROUND AT DEESIDE ON FRIDAY

JOEL HOPWOOD WINS CRAIBSTONE ALLIANCE OPEN WITH A 74

The field for the 2nd Craibstone Alliance open was reduced in numbers due to a variety of factors such as the Aberdeen Links championship match-play stages and the Paul Lawrie Invitational first round at Deeside.
Skibo Castle assistant pro Joel Hopwood made the long journey down from the far North to post a 74.
Best net score was a 71 off 15 by Chris Adams. Runner-up was Mark Hay with 77 off 11.
Craibstone GC Golf Operations Manager Billy Sim is hoping that the Wednesday  numbers for the Alliance Opens will take off once more people know about them - entry fee £15 (£14 for Craibstone members).
The normal visitor's green fee is £35.
You can reserve your tee time for the Craibstone Alliance Opens by phoning Billy Sim at 075533 47143
Why not give it a try - and take along your own playing partners if you wish.
The Craibstone Alliance Opens on a Wednesday (tee open from 8am to 2pm) are open to male amateurs (handicap max 20) and female amateurs (handicap max 30) and male and female professionals and assistant pros.

MICHAEL WATSON LEADS GLENMUIR PGA PRO CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE PGA TOURNAMENT NEWS WEBSITE
Michael Watson threw down the gauntlet as he thrust himself firmly into title contention at the midway stage of the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship in association with Peugeot.
The Wessex Golf Centre professional and winner of the 2009 PGA Play-Offs, moved to five-under-par for the tournament after carding a second round six-under 66 as the 'cellophane came off the holes' on the PGA National course at the Belfry.Watson, who began the day one-over-par after an opening 73, rattled in an eagle at the par five sixth along with six birdies - including a trio from the eighth - to get his championship bid up-and-running.

It wasn't all plain sailing with dropped shots at the third and seventh, but he was more than content to have played his way to the top of the leaderboard.

He took over pole position from Ireland-based Rob Giles (Greenore), who lies a shot further back in joint second after having to settle for a level par 72.

Joining him is 2001 winner Simon Edwards (Windermere), who dropped just one shot as he carded a four-under-par 68 to move menacingly into contention as the 'veterans' took charge.

Also well-placed to challenge in a tightly-packed leaderboard as just three shots separate the top 12, is last year's runner-up David Shacklady (Mossock Hall).

But the day definitely belonged to Watson, who in a repeat of his Play-Offs success, just indulged in a birdie blitz as he made his accuracy finally pay.

"I played very well yesterday but didn't hole absolutely anything but I finally got some putts in," said Watson, who came into the tournament in fine form after a string of recent wins in the PGA West Region.

"There were a couple of snaky long ones, including one on the par five sixth for an eagle. I got a good birdie on 14 and played solidly coming back.

"It's the kind of course you've got to hit it well off the tee, which suits me. I had a practice round on Monday and I felt then there was a good score out there in me. I knew if I played the way I played yesterday and the cellophane came off the holes it would let me in and it did."

The 72-hole championship, the flagship event on the PGA tournament schedule, carries a prize fund of £78,000 with £10,000 going to the winner.

Edwards, winner of the Welsh PGA National Championship last September, has his target set on adding more silverware to his cabinet.

"I got the ball in the hole and that's what it's all about. I've been going backwards and forwards between putters and this week just rolling it good," he said.

"It's a tough course but if you drive it straight you're going to be in reasonably good shape. The likes of me, Michael Watson, David Shacklady and a few others have been around long enough to use our experience and know it's not all about distance.

"Now it's about keeping it going. I've got a good reason to win this week but I'm not revealing why, it's just something I want to do this week. It's 10 years since I won this and it's been too long."

Overnight leader Giles missed out on the chance to build on his impressive start as his putter went cold.

He said: "It was nothing spectacular. I moved to two-under after birdies at five and six but then nothing happened.

"I hit 17 greens in regulation and two and three putts took me back to level par for the round. Tee to green I hit it great but I just couldn't get the ball in the hole.

"I wanted to consolidate my start but after being two-under after six things were looking pretty good but I was struggling to see lines on the green. A three putt at 16 topped it off as I had been under-par for the majority of the round."

The GB and I PGA Cup team to take on the United States in the Ryder Cup-style match in California in September, has also come into focus for a number of the challengers, including 2007 team member Craig Goodfellow (Carlisle Driving Range), who fired a 71 to ease into a share of fourth place at three-under-par, and Barry Taylor (Houghwood), who was in the 2009 team. He is among a clutch players at two-under-par.

Defending champion David Mortimer (Galway), almost a certainty for a PGA Cup spot, carded a one-over-par 73 to ease to one-under alongside another former champion - Paul Wesselingh (Kedleston Park), who added a 71 to his opening 72 to give himself every opportunity of securing a seventh successive PGA Cup appearance.

The top 50 players and ties made the cut, which came at three-over-par.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE PGA TOURNAMENT WEBSITE

CLICK HERE