DAY FOUR REPORT AND RESULTS AT SCOTTISH BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

TOP THREE SEEDS IN QUARTER-FINALS

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre and Ben Kinsley, the top three seeds, stayed on course for glory after comfortably booking quarter-final spots in the Scottish Boys Championship.
But all know the pitfalls of match play golf after Lundin’s Niall McMullen, the eight seed, lost out to his Fife team-mate Ryan Brown in one of the surprises of the tournament at a pleasant West Kilbride.
Having been taken to the last in his opening round match, British Boys champion Ferguson has made menacing progress and claimed his spot in the last eight after a 2&1 win over Kilspindie’s Rob Paterson and a 3&2 success against Scott McCandless from Bathgate.
The Bearsden top seed found himself all square with McCandless after 10 holes before “getting angry for the first time this week” and “giving myself a kick”. He promptly knocked it close at the next two holes to move two ahead and never looked back in his 3&2 win.
“My ball striking is good and I’m driving great, everything is there,” added Ferguson, seeking to go beyond the quarter-finals for the first time. “I’m confident and I’m just trying to play my own game.”

Ferguson safely into the quarter-finals

Ferguson next faces Brown, after the three-handicapper from Dunfermline took advantage of McMullen’s struggles in the afternoon. Playing in the Scottish Boys for the first time, the 16-year-old came here with few expectations.
“I thought we would be going to the beach today,” he admitted, after surprising himself with his last-eight achievement. “I never expected to come this far and I just want to give Ewen a game tomorrow.”
The second quarter-final sees Innes Ferguson from Drumpellier take on the Scotland Boys’ cap and fifth seed Stuart Easton, with the Irvine player emulating his run to the last eight 12 months ago at Monifieth.
Ferguson ended the challenge of Angus Lewis from the St George’s Hill club, while Easton made it through after his opponent, Robbie Kemsley from Balmore, sliced out of bounds on the 18th. “I then changed my strategy and took a 3-iron off the tee for safety,” said Easton, whose closing par was good enough for the win.
In the other side of the draw, Kinsley has looked in fine form and birdied his four closing holes to beat Robert Watson of Muckhart in the morning, before dishing out a 5&4 defeat of Powfoot’s Duncan McNeill, who had racked up some big wins himself this week.
St Andrews’ Kinsley was two down early against McNeill, but then won three holes in a row to turn the tables. Another purple patch of four straight successes from the ninth saw him comfortably into the last eight for the third time in his Boys’ career.

Kinsley in top form 

“I wasn’t thinking about it at the start of the week, but more and more as the week has gone on I’m quite up for winning this,” stated third seed Kinsley, playing in his last Boys’ event. His quarter-final opponent is Rory Brunton from Portpatrick Dunskey, after he came through 4&2 against Calum Aitken of Old Course Ranfurly.
Meanwhile, the fifth and second seeds, George Burns and MacIntyre respectively, will meet in the final quarter-final.
MacIntyre, the Glencruitten left-hander who is the lowest handicapper in the field at +4, has made strong progress all week, only going past the 15th green on one occasion. That was yesterday afternoon when he beat Callum Cochrane from Marriott Dalmahoy 32.
MacIntyre is seeking to add to his two national titles last year, the Scottish Youths and the Scottish Boys Stroke Play, and will need to beat Williamwood’s Burns, his fellow Scotland Boys’ team-mate, to keep that dream alive. Burns closed out his tight last-16 match with Jack Rogan (Longniddry) with two putts on the final green.
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Photos: Kenny Smith Photography

MIDLAND ALLIANCE REPORT AND SCORES FROM LEE SUTHERLAND

There was a three-way tie for the top scratch prize in the final meeting of the Midland Golfers Alliance season - the SAS Ltd Team Competition - at a windy
Duke's Course, St Andrews. 
Scott Graham (Arbroath), Keith Bruce (Edzell) and Steven Cargill (Arbroath) all scoring four over par 75s. 
Nicol Wilson from Ladybank won the handicap section by three shots with a net 71. 
Winners of the team competition were Derek Jamieson Carnoustie, 12. Jack Cree Scotscraig, 12 and Jim Brown Kirkcaldy, 7 with a score of 64.
 Leading Scratch Scores
75 S. Graham Arbroath, Scr K. Bruce Edzell, 1 S. Cargill Arbroath, 1 
76 W. Hutton Pitlochry, 1 
77 G. Finlay Ballumbie Castle, +1 A. Webster P, Edzell M. Rae AP, Alyth 
78 R. McGuigan Monifieth, 3 
79 C. Armstrong AP, Burntisland J. Watt Edzell, 3 S. Rennie P, Brechin S. Paterson Lundin, 4 
Leading Handicap 
71 N. Wilson Ladybank, 10 
74 J. Brown Kirkcaldy, 7 J. Leddy Bathgate, 10 K. Bruce Edzell, 1 S. Cargill Arbroath, 1 
75 W. Hutton Pitlochry, 1 R. McGuigan Monifieth, 3 S. Graham Arbroath, Scr S. Paterson Lundin, 4 
76 A Maxwell Burntisland, 5 J. Watt Edzell, 3 
Leading Team Scores 
64 D. Jamieson Carnoustie, 12 J. Cree Scotscraig, 12 J. Brown Kirkcaldy, 7 66bih A. Black Tulliallan, 12 T. McIntyre Lundin, 2 B. Main Lundin, 14 
66bih N. Wilson Ladybank, 10 S. Mitchell St. Andrews New, 12 A. Didcock Alloa, 10