CRICHTON v SOUTAR FOR TOP SCOT HONOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Scott Crichton from Aberdour and Leven Golfing Society member Brian Soutar will battle it out for the honour of being leading Scot in tomorrow's fourth and final round of the South African amateur stroke-play golf championship at Glendower Golf Club, Gauteng.
Neither has a realistic chance of winning the title for which Italian Andrea Bolognesi is now the favourite, having shot a 68 to take the lead on nine-under-par 207.
South African No 1, 18-year-old Brandon Stone, who had been making all the running and was four or five shots clear of the field, suddenly fell off his pedestal over the third round.
After rounds of 66 and 68, it was a "Stone the crows!" effort of 75 which has dragged him down to a share of third place on 209. Not out of it by any means, but he will to dip into his bag of brilliance for a last-round rally to come to the front again.
With one round to go, Crichton, pictured above, is seven shots off the pace after a one-under-par 71 for two-under 214 which puts him in a share of 13th place.
Soutar is on joint 16th on level par 216 after a 70, the best third-round score by any of the six Scots who survive the cut. Soutar bogeyed only the 17th after birdieing the ninth, 10th and 13th.
Fraser McKenna (Balmore) had a 73 for 222 and a share of 40th place alongwith James White (Lundin) whose par 72 was his best score so far.
Dunbar's Daniel Kay had his worst score, a 76, for 223 and joint 49th place while Conor O'Neil (Pollok), with two double bogeys on his card, had a 79 for 229 and a share of 70th place.

LEADING THIRD-ROUND SCORES
Par 216 (3x72).
Players from S Africa unless stated
207 Andrea Bolognesi (Ita) 69 70 68.
208 Haydn Porteous 68 71 69.
209 Desne Van de Bergh 69 70 70, Brandon Stone 66 68 75, Musiwalo
Nethunzwi 71 70 68, Toby Tree (Eng) 71 69 69.
SCOTS' SCORES
214 Scott Crichton 69 74 71 (35-36) (T13)
216 Brian Soutar 70 76 70 (35-35) (T16).
222 Fraser McKenna 72 77 73 (39-34), James White 75 75 72 (37-35) (T40).
223 Daniel Kay 72 75 76 (39-37) (T49).
229 Connor O'Neil 70 80 79 (40-39) (T70).