Scottish amateur championship

Jolly Roger from Cruden Bay through to semi-

finals at Blairgowrie Rosemount

Stephen Roger, playing out of Peebles, having moved south earlier this year from Cruden Bay, claimed a notable scalp - Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) - to earn a place in Saturday morning's semi-finals of the Scottish amateur championship over Blairgowrie Golf Club's Rosemount course.

Roger, pictured, a former Scottish youths champion, beat Walker by one hole to earn a last-eight clash with the reinstated professional, Euan McIntosh (Turnhouse) who has had a great comeback to the amateur ranks in his late 40s.
Roger was two up after nine holes against Walker but the Ayrshire man had squared the contest by the 16th. Roger refused to crack and regained a one-hole winning lead over the last two holes.
The first semi-final sees Andrew Thomson (Lanark) play Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) for a place in Sunday's 36-hole final.
Thomson had a hard-fought one hole win over Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) in the quarter-finals while Stewart beat Jim Johnston (Ayr Belleisle. by 5 and 4 after being three up at the turn.
Clark beat the top seed, Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal) 4 and 3 in the morning third round.
The Scott brothers from Nairn, Calum and Sandy both lost in the round of the last 16.
+Scroll down past the results to read the Scottish Golf News Release, summarising the day's play.

TODAY'S RESULTS

THIRD ROUND
Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) bt Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal) 4 and 3.
Andrew Thomson (Lanark) bt Stuart Easton (Irvine) 3 and 1.
Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) bt Ferghus Milne (Banchory) 4 and 3.
Jim Johnston (Ayr Belleisle) bt Norval Saldarov (Craigielaw) 3 and 2.
Connor McKinney (Australia) bt C D Scott (Nairn) at 19th.
Euan McIntosh (Turnhouse) bt Kyle Godsman (Moray) 2 and 1.
Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Robbie Morrison (Australia) 1 hole.
Stephen Roger (Peebles) bt Sandy Scott (Nairn) 2 and 1.

QUARTER-FINALS
Thomson bt Clark 1 hole.
*Clark won first three holes but the match was all square at the turn.

Stewart bt Johnston 5 and 4.
*Stewart was three up at the turn.

McIntosh bt McKinnery at 19th
*McIntosh was 2 up after 9 but all square after 13.

Roger bt Walker 1 hole.
*Roger was 2 up after 9 but all square after 16.

SATURDAY MORNING SEMI-FINALS

9am Thomson v Stewart
9.15  McIntosh v Roger

SUNDAY'S 36-HOLE FINAL
8.30 Start of first round

US Student Jamie Stewart is proving a Yankee Doodle Dandy at Blairgowrie

SCOTTISH GOLF REPORT

Old Ranfurly’s Jamie Stewart came into this week’s Scottish men’s amateur championship hoping for a strong performance before he heads back across the pond to continue his college education in America.

The Renfrewshire teenager, who attends the University of Missouri, is living up to his expectations after safely booking his spot in tomorrow’s semi-finals at Blairgowrie.

Stewart defeated Banchory’s Ferghus Milne 4 and 3 in this morning’s third round, then, after a hot streak which saw him produce seven birdies in his final ten holes, triumphed 5 and 4 against Jim Johnston from Ayr Belleisle.

Stewart said:

“I just played solid today, there is a spell around the middle part of the course where you can really make some birdies and I have done that quite well this week.

“This is my last event before I head back out to college in America, so I was looking for a good week.  I didn’t start the week well, shooting +2 in the first round of qualifying, then turned things around with a nice 7-under on Rosemount.

“Match-play can be a bit of a lottery so my goal was to get through qualifying and see what happens. Blairgowrie has been a great venue, I love both courses, the greens are in fantastic condition and I’m looking forward to the semi-final.”

Stewart’s opponent tomorrow will be Lanark’s Andrew Thomson, who defeated Stuart Easton in this morning’s third round, then edged out Kilmacolm’s Matthew Clark by one hole in a closely contested match that went right down to the wire.

Thomson said:

“I have really enjoyed my week so far, I have played very well, managed a lot of birdies which is making life a little easier.

“My short game has been the strongest part of my game for sure, I have holed a lot of putts from inside 10-feet and I have actually holed out three times this week from around 100-yards. So, it’s been a good week with the wedge and I hope it continues.”

Tomorrow’s other semi-final will see Turnhouse’s Euan McIntosh face Stephen Roger from Peebles. McIntosh, a former professional, only returned to the Amateur game in 2016 after not playing golf for 10-years.

Glasgow-born McIntosh was three up through 10 holes on teenager Connor McKinney (Joondalup), yet after a valiant comeback by the Aussie-based Scot, McIntosh birdied the first extra hole to win the match.

After his match Euan was full of praise for his opponent:

“Young Connor was fantastic today. Lesser people would have given up after being three down, but he produced three birdies on the trot, 11 through 13, to bring it back to all square. 

"I got out of jail at 14, getting up and down from 142 yards for a par and a half. That gave me a lift for the rest of the match.”

Roger, who defeated Kilmarnock Barassie’s Euan Walker by 1-hole, is drawing on good memories of Blairgowrie this week:

“I love the venue this week, I actually won the handicap event at the Paul Lawrie Junior Jug back in 2013, so I have got really good memories. I really like the course and I'm enjoying having some fun in the match-play.

“Both matches today were tough. There were times when I looked like I was heading out of the championship , but both times when it came down to the wire I produced, which is always great.

“In this afternoon’s match against Euan (Walker) I was in command, then lost my focus for a second and let it slip. The match could have gone either way, Euan is a quality player and I have a lot of respect for him.”