THIRTY SCOTS IN KENT FOR BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP STARTING MONDAY MORNING

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION  WEBSITE
By ED HODGE, Press and PR Executive SGU
Scotland’s highest-ranked amateur and current SGU Men’s Order of Merit leader, Jack McDonald, will seek to emulate his heroics of last year and continue his recent form when he tees-up as one of 30 Scots in The Amateur Championship from Monday.

The elite of amateur golf are assembling in Sandwich, Kent for the 118th staging of the Championship (17-22 June) at Royal Cinque Ports and Prince’s.

The Amateur champion will earn a place in next month's Open Championship at Muirfield and next year’s US Open at Pinehurst, North Carolina. Traditionally, an invitation is also extended to The Amateur champion to play in the following year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta.

For Kilmarnock Barassie’s McDonald, up to 85th in the world rankings after back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play and the St Andrews Links Trophy, it’s a great chance to impress the Walker Cup selectors by building on his semi-final finish in the event last year.

McDonald and fellow Scot Paul Ferrier both reached the last-four stage, but it was Northern Irishman Alan Dunbar who prevailed at Royal Troon and Glasgow Golf Club’s Gailes Links. The 2011 Walker Cup star overcame Austria's Matthias Schwab by one hole in the 36-hole matchplay final.

As well as McDonald, Great Britain & Ireland cap Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), presently second on the Men's Order of Merit, will hope to feature, as will teenage talents Ewan Scott (St Andrews) and Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil. Reigning SGU Men’s Order of Merit champion Scott Borrowman has also been showing form and will be out to maintain his recent play.

The Scottish Amateur champion, Grant Forrest from Craigielaw, also tees-up, along with 2012 Scottish Boys champion Craig Howie (Peebles) and the in-form James Ross (Royal Burgess).

Royal Cinque is regarded by many as one of the finest in the world. The club has previously hosted two Open Championships in 1909 & 1920 and has been made one of four Final Open Qualifying venues from 2014-2017, and is sure to pose a stern test for the world's leading amateurs.

Prince's Golf Club has also hosted The Open Championship back in 1932, when Gene Sarazen prevailed. It has also featured as a qualifying venue for Championships played at Royal St Georges.

For the second year running all 288 competitors, from 29 countries, are ranked players on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Leading the field and world ranked three, five and seven respectively on WAGR are Australia’s Brady Watt, Cheng-Tsung Pan from Chinese Taipei and Julien Brun from France.

Corhampton’s Neil Raymond, winner of last week’s St Andrews Links Trophy, will be hoping to take his good form forward into The Amateur alongside fellow Englishmen, Max Orrin (North Foreland) and Nathan Kimsey (Woodhall Spa), who tied second in the same event. Kimsey is the highest-ranked British player in the starting line-up, placed 16th on WAGR.

Commenting on the quality of the field, The RandA’s Director - Amateur Events, Euan Mordaunt, said: “288 of the world’s best amateur golfers will be competing over two of Kent’s most challenging links courses for the prestigious title of Amateur champion and exemptions into at least two of golf’s Majors.

“With this in mind there is a great deal at stake and the opportunity to watch the talents of some of the world’s finest amateur golfers should not be missed, particularly as admission is free and full spectator facilities are available.”

The stroke play stage of The Amateur Championship is played over the first two days of competition at both courses before the field is cut to 64 and ties. The match play stage is played over the final four days at Royal Cinque Ports.

TV highlights will be broadcast on Thursday through Saturday, 20-22 June on Sky Sports. Visit www.randa.org for scoring and daily news updates or follow on Twitter @TheAmateurLive

>> Click here for the draw for The Amateur Championship

Round-up

* Brian Grieve, a member of Blairgowrie and King James VI golf clubs and a past club champion of both clubs, has won the French International Seniors 2 Open Championship (for those over 64 years of age).

The Perth resident, a past member of the Scottish Seniors team for four years, triumphed recently at La Baule in Brittany by two strokes. It’s the first time a Scot has been successful in this national open championship.

* The US Junior Golf Team defeated their counterparts from the Scottish Golf Academy 12.5-7.5 in a first-ever friendly challenge match between the sides, played earlier this week at Monifieth and the Jubilee Course, St Andrews.