BIG NAMES PATERSON, DICK GO OUT ON SCOTTISH AMATEUR DAY 1

CHEERS! James Byrne, James Whyte, David Law and Michael Stewart at Western Gailes after the announcement that Highland Spring Water are the new sponsors of the SGU's Junior Masters Tournament, the Grand Final of which will be held at Gleneagles in October. Image by courtesy of the SGU and Andy Forman.


NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION

By ROSS DUNCAN 

Defending champion Michael Stewart eased through to the second round of the Scottish Amateur Championship with a comfortable 4 and 3 win over Bonnyton’s David Docherty on the opening day at Western Gailes. 

Number one seed Stewart, aiming to become the first player to win back-to-back titles since legendary amateur Charlie Green in 1982-83, birdied his last three holes to post a comfortable win in his native Ayrshire and will now face Braehead’s Scott Moffat for a place in the third round tomorrow afternoon.

Young Aberdonian David Law also eased through with a 5 and 4 against Martin McCrory to remain on course for his second championship win, having made history in 2009 when he became the first player to win the men’s and boy’s national title in the same year.

 The 20-year-old, whose previous win also came in Ayrshire at Royal Troon, expected the host venue to throw up a few surprises as the week progresses:“It wasn’t easy to make birdies as the pins are tucked away in some tough positions. Pars were good scores and if you try and over power the course you’ll find trouble. It’s a great match play course and I’m sure there will be a few shocks this week,” said the Paul Lawrie protégé.

Fife’s Greg Paterson was the first seed to fall, going down by a two holes to 43-year-old Scott Michie while fellow Scotland international Allyn Dick, winner of the Newlands Trophy earlier this month, is also out after losing at the nineteenth hole to Neil Black from Rowallan Castle. 

One of this season’s form men on the domestic circuit, University of Stirling student Graeme Robertson, survived a back nine fightback from local player Jamie MacKay, to earn his place in the second round. Robertson, who lies second in the SGU Order of Merit after five consecutive top-four finishes, was four up through twelve but before had to wait until the 17^th hole to see off MacKay.

Scotland caps Ross Kellett and Paul Shields both enjoyed easy wins but the veteran double silver medallist Paul McKellar made a first round exit at the hands of Ladybank’s Alister Hain.

 TO VIEW ALL THE RESULTS ON THE SGU WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

THREE TIE ON 68 IN SPRINT SERIES AT THE CARRICK

David Orr (East Renfrewshire), West Linton's Gareth Wright and man-in-form Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) each won £766 after scoring matching three-under-par 68s in the latest round of the "Sprint to St Andrews" series at The Carrick at Loch Lomond today.
Orr had one eagle and three birdies; Wright seven birdies and a double bogey, McKechnie a bag of six birdies.
Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) followed up Michele Thomson's good performance in another Tartan Tour event last week by finishing joint seventh on one-under-par 70, only two shots off the pace.
Heather earned £237.
Michele kept up her good form with a 72.
There are five one-round events in the "Sprint" series, at the end of which players will count their best three scores. The leading 30 will go forward to the Grand Final over The Duke's Course in the autumn. LEADING TOTALS
Par 71
68 David Orr (East Renfrewshire), Gareth Wright (West Linton), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) £766 each.
69 James McKinnon (Irvine), Mark Loftus (Adam Hunter Golf), Graeme Brown (Montrose Links) £360 each.
70 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles), Jonathan Porteous (Craigielaw), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) £237 each.
71 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Fraser Clarke (Newmachar), Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon), David Pagrick (Elie SC).
72 Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon), Scott Henderson (Kings Links).

US NATIONWIDE TOUR WINNER A CERTAINTY FOR WALKER CUP

FROM THE US NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Georgia University student Harris English rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational and became only the third amateur ever to win on America's No 2 pro tour.
English and college rival John Peterson of Louisiana State University were locked in a weekend battle that saw them flip-flop the lead on several occasions. The final switch came at the 72nd hole where Peterson stumbled to a bogey after his tee shot settled into a horrible lie in the rough and English rolled in his putt to join former Bulldog roommate and Russell Henley as amateur winners this year.
"That's really what you dream about growing up. You want to put yourself in those positions to win. This is what you spend hours and hours practising for as a little kid," said Engilsh. "When I saw the ball disappear it was the greatest feeling in the world. It's pretty unbelievable."
Peterson's tee shot nestled into a sloppy divot in the rough and his second shot came up 30 yards short of the green. His pitch shot left him with 15 feet for par. When he missed the putt, he set the stage for English.
"My goal was to win this week and I didn't get it done. I guess it just wasn't meant for me," said Peterson, gracious in defeat. "If I wasn't going to win, I wanted him to win it."
English started the day one shot back of Peterson, who held the outright lead after each of the first three days and set or matched records in the process. His 1-under-par 70 at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course put him at 14-under 270, one better than Peterson (72) and Columbus native Kyle Reifers (68), who rolled in a critical 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
"I thought 14 was the number today," said Reifers, who winds up collecting first-place money as the highest-finishing professional. "The money is a big part because of what it might mean as far as next year."
Since neither English nor Peterson could share the monetary spoils, Reifers' reward of $144,000 vaults him from No. 52 to No. 5 on the season money list halfway through the schedule. The 25 leading money winners at the end of the year will earn PGA TOUR cards for 2012.
Josh Broadaway (65) and Brian Smock (69) shared fourth place, two back of English. Ted Potter, Jr. (65), Cincinnati native Brett Wetterich (67) and leading money winner Mathew Goggin (69) were tied for sixth at 11-under.
"I don't think either of us had our best stuff today," said English, who hit 16 greens but had 34 putts. "I misread a lot of putts today. We just had to grind it out. I really wanted him to make that putt at 18. That would have been the perfect circumstances."
Sunday's final round, like most of the previous three, had the spotlight on the amateurs. English was coming off his first major amateur win the Southern Amateur last week in Florida and Peterson captured the NCAA Individual Championship last month.
When Peterson birdied the opening hole and English made bogey, the margin was three in favor of the purple and gold of Louisiana State University.
"I was trying to run away with it but my putter wouldn't let me," said Peterson. "I putted terrible today. I was striping it but my putter caught up with me."
And so did English, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Saturday.
"This one had a different feel to it coming down the stretch," said the winner. "My future was in my hands coming down the last couple of holes. I knew that a win here would be big for me in the future and give me a Tour to play on when I turn pro."
The pro ranks and the check-cashing will have to wait as both English and Peterson have a few more amateur events to play this summer. Both will head to upstate New York next week for the Porter Cup and then hopefully turn pro after the Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen GC, Scotland in mid-September.
Final-Round Notes:
* Harris English becomes the third amateur in Nationwide Tour history, and the second this year, to win: Daniel Summerhays 2007 Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational Russell Henley 2011 Stadion Classic at UGA Harris English 2011 Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES AND SCORECARDS

CLICK HERE