Wednesday, April 11, 2012

KINGUSSIE BOY CLAIMS BLANEY SCALP TO REACH LAST 32

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Blairgowrie's Bradley Neil ... through to the last 32 of the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish boys' championship at Murcar Links (Image by Kenny Smith of SGU).

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Report by ED HODGE, SGU PR and Media Executive
The much-fancied players in the field for the Paul Lawrie Foundation cottish boys' championship made strong progress today, with notable names booking their place in the last-32 at Murcar Links, only for Anthony Blaney to exit in the final game of the day.
The Liberton ace, 18, looked set to make a strong bid for the championship crown after he shared top spot in the opening Scottish Hydro Junior Tour event of the season.
But the SGU National Boys squad player, who has a +0.9 handicap, met his match in Jordan Shaw (Kingussie), who claimed a fine victory at the 18th.
"It's my third time in the Scottish Boys and this is my best-ever win, beating a Scotland squad player," said Shaw, a two-handicapper.
David Wilson, bidding to become the first player to defend successfully the prestigious Under-18 event since Scott Henry in 2005, eased into the fourth round with two comfortable wins.
After seeing off Gregor Cannon, Wilson racked up his biggest victory in the championship this week after defeating David Cleland from Hamilton 5 and 4.
The Troon Welbeck player, who staged a phenomenal comeback at Dunbar 12 months ago to defeat Liam Johnston in the final, is pleased at his progress. “So far so good,” the 17-year-old said. “I’m pretty confident and I’ve got good feelings after last year.
“I knew it was going to be a tough match but I was four up after nine and in control. I feel my game is a lot more consistent now, all-round really.”
Wilson was joined by a number of other National Boys’ Squad players in tomorrow’s last-32, with Ben Kinsley, the reigning Scottish Under-16 champion and a semi-finalist last year, looking good in his hard-fought 2 and 1 win over Craig Oram (Nairn Dunbar).
It was a repeat success for Kinsley, from St Andrews, after he defeated Oram by the same margin of victory at the quarter-final stage 12 months ago.
“It was a really difficult game and I had to play well. He definitely wanted revenge and came out really strong,” the 16-year-old admitted. “It was a tough game and I knew I had to play well.”
It was a tense affair, with the match nip and tuck through 15 holes. But Oram’s three-putt at the 16th gave Kinsley the edge and he sealed success with a glorious approach to nine feet at the 17th.
Fellow St Andrews player Ewan Scott also progressed, closing out a one-hole success over Andrew Loch (Pumphertson).
Meanwhile, Cawder’s Jamie Savage continued his bid for glory, again drawing on all his battling qualities to defeat Peebles’ Daniel Flannery.
Savage, who looked out when he was four down with eight to play against Andrew Thomson yesterday before a remarkable rescue mission, this time went to the 20th to edge past Flannery.
Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil joined Savage in round four, again impressing in a 4 and 3 win over fellow Boys’ Squad team-mate Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie).
It looked a tricky tie on paper for Neil, the former Scottish and English Under-14 champion, but he is making strong progress.
“I feel I’m in good form, holing putts and have momentum,” Bradley said.
Others to stay on the winning trail included left-hander Robert MacIntyre from the Glencruitten club in Oban.
Bidding to become the first ‘leftie’ to win the title since Callendar’s Ben Collier in 1990, MacIntyre looks a dark horse for success after a thumping 6 and 4 triumph over Connor Syme (Dumfries and County).
He said: “I’m hitting fairways and greens which is the key. I also feel in good form after helping Scotland win the Quads event near Belfast at the weekend.”
Performance of the day, though, goes to Lochwinnoch’s Paul Reilly, who equalled the biggest win of the week with an 8 and 7 victory over Ross Millar (Whitekirk) to reach the fourth round.

COLIN FARQUHARSON'S NORTH AND NORTH-EAST NOTES
Six North and North-east teenagers are through to the last 32 - Andrew Burgess (Nairn), Jake Scott (Buckpool), Andrew Carrell (Royal Aberdeen), Josh Halliday (Inchmarlo), Kerr Baptie (Duff House Royal and Jordan Shaw (Kingussie).
Earlier in the week I tipped Burgess, Scott and Carrell to make good progress and they have. Now comes the crunch. There are no "easy" matches after you get to the fourth round.
The Burgess family lived in Aberdeen until about seven years ago. Andrew, who plays off +1, credits the move to Nairn and the one-on-one coaching he has received from Nairn Dunbar GC pro David Torrance since then as the reasons behind his improvement to Scotland Under-16 cap level last year.
In October, he won the Sandy Aird Trophy at the North of Scotland Junior Open match-play championship at Forres.
Scott has proved as fine a prospect as the Buckpool bush telegraph has been signalling for the past year but Jake will have a tiger (with a lower-case 't') by the tail in the morning when he tangles with Ben Kinsley (St Andrews), winner of the Scotland Under-16 open stroke-play over 54 holes at Forfar last season.
If Burgess and Scott both win their fourth-round ties, they will meet in the round of the last 16 tomorrow afternoon. Now that would be something!
North-east District officials expected Andrew Carrell to do well on a links course which is an extension of the neighbouring Balgownie conditions he knows so well.


SCROLL DOWN TO READ ALL TODAY'S RESULTS

THURSDAY MORNING'S ROUND OF THE LAST 32

FIRST QUARTER
8.00 JACK THOMAS (Irvine Bogside) v CRAIG HOWIE (Peebles).

8.08 DOMINIC DOUGAN (Colville Park) v BOB MacINTYRE (Glencruitten)

8.16 COLIN EDGAR (Cochrane Castle) v ANDREW BURGESS (Nairn).

8.24 JAKE SCOTT (Buckpool) v BEN KINGSLEY (St Andrews)

SECOND QUARTER
8.32 JAMIE SAVAGE (Cawder) v ANDREW CARRELL (Royal Aberdeen).

8.40 ALEXANDER WILSON (Renaissance) v LAWRENCE ALLAN (Alva).

8.48 CONNAR COOK (Caird Park) v MARTIN McCORKELL (Gleddoch)

8.56 DAVID WILSON (Troon Welbeck) v RYAN WALSH (Kirkcaldy)

THIRD QUARTER
9.04 BRADLEY NEIL (Blairgowrie) v ADAM LOCH (Pumpherston)

9.12 CRAIG ANDERSON (Sandyhills) v CALLUM COCHRANE (Marriott Dalmahoy)

9.20 PAUL REILLY (Lochwinnoch) v BEN CRAGGS (Glenbervie)

9.28 BLAIR GAVIN (Kilmarnock Barassie) v EWAN SCOTT (St Andrews)

FOURTH QUARTER
9.36 ALAN WAUGH (Cowglen) v JOSH HALLIDAY (Inchmarlo)

9.44 GEORGE BURNS (Williamwood) v KERR BAPTIE (Duff House Royal)

9.52 ROBERT JOHNSON (Helensburgh) v FRASER CHRISTIE (Craigmillar Park)

10.0 JORDAN SHAW (Kingussie) v LEWIS BAIN (Turnhouse).

AFTERNOON ROUND OF THE LAST SIXTEEN

1.00 Thomas or Howie v Dougan or MacIntyre.
1.10 Edgar or Burgess v Jake Scott or Kinsley.
1.20 Savage or Carrell v Alexander Wilson or Allan.
1.30 Cook or McCorkell v David Wilson or Walsh
1.40 Neil or Loch v Anderson or Cochrane.
1.50 Reilly or Craggs v Gavin or Ewen Scott
2.00 Waugh or Halliday v Burns or Baptie.
2.10 Johnson or Christie v Shaw or Bain.

FRIDAY QUARTER-FINALS - 8.00, 8.15, 8.30 and 8.45
FRIDAY SEMI-FINALS - 12.45 and 1.00
SATURDAY'S FINAL (36 holes) -

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