World men's amateur team championship

SCOTS IMPROVE TEAM SCORE
- BUT DROP DOWN TO SHARE
OF TWELFTH PLACE
Scotland shaved two shots off their opening-day, two-from-three aggregate with 142 for a halfway total of two-under-par 286 in the men's world amateur team championship for the Eisenhower Trophy in South Africa.
It was not a bad performance by any means but not good enough to stop them slipping out of an overnight top 10 as other countries shot under 140 and climbed above them.
United States totalled 136 in their second round, an improvement of seven shots and the defending champions went into the No 2 spot on 279, one shot behind Canada (139-139)
Sweden went even lower than the Americans with a team score of 132 - 12 under par - on Day 2 and they surged up to fifth place on 282, one behind joint third place Netherlands and Mexico.
Ireland, for whom Gareth Shaw had a hole in one at the ninth hole (his last) on the De Zalze course), slashed eight shots off their first-round effort with a 138 team total to be on the 284 mark.
The three Scots switched to the slightly longer De Zalze Golf Club course at Stellenbosch in South Africa.
George Murray (Earlsferry Thistle), pictured above, top scored for the Scots with a two-under-par 70 (34-36).
Scott Jamieson (Cathkin Braes), who had a non-counting score yesterday, scored today with a par 72 (35-37).
It was US amateur champion Richie Ramsay (Royal Aberdeen) who had the non-counting score of one-over-par 73.
HOW THEY STAND
Par 72 x 4 = 288
1 - 278 Canada 139-139.
2 - 279 United States 143-136.
3 - 281 Mexico 143-138, Netherlands 141-140.
5 - 282 Sweden 150-132.
6 - 283 Korea 146-137.
7 - 284 France 142-142, Japan 145-139, Ireland 146-138, Austria 143-141.
11 - 285 Malaysia 143-142.
12 - 286 Spain 145-141, New Zealand 148-138, Scotland 144-142.
15 - 287 England 149-138, Chinese Taipei 147-140, Wales 144-143, Germany 146-141.
19 - 288 Australia 147-141, Denmark 145-143, Portugal 145-143, South Africa 143-145
23 - 289 Italy 147-142, Norway 146-143, Switzerland 146-143.
26 - 290 Belgium 150-140, Argentina 148-142, Chile 147-143.
29 - 291 India 148-143, Finland 145-146.
31 - 293 Trinidad & Tobago 147-146.
32 - 296 Iceland 151-145, Colombia 152-145.
34 - 297 Czech Republic 152-145.
35 - 298 Brazil 146-152, Puerto Rico 152-146.
37 - 303 Russian Federation 149-153, Venezuela 154-148.

LEADING INDIVIDUALS
137 Chris Kirk (US) 71 66, Richard Scott (Can) 69 68.
138 Mauricio Tamez (Mex) 70 68.
139 Yuki Usami (Jap) 70 69, Will Besseling (Net) 69 70.
140 Oliver Fisher (Eng) 74 66, Josh Geary (NZ) 73 67, Julien Grillon (Fra) 72 68, Sung Hoon Kang (Kor) 73 67.

SCOTLAND INDIVIDUALS
142 George Murray 72 70 (De Zalze 34-36).
Second-round birdies: 3-4-8-14.
Bogeys 5-12.
145 Richie Ramsay 72 73 (De Zalze 35-38).
Second-round birdies: 6-8-14.
Bogeys: 3-11-12-18.
150 Scott Jamieson 78 72 (De Zalze 35-37).
Second-round birdies: 3-4-17.
Bogeys 1-10-18.

ENGLAND INDIVIDUALS
140 Oliver Fisher 74 66 (Stellenbosch 33-33).
147 Ross McGowan 37-35 (Stellenbosch 37-35).
149 Jamie Moul 75-74 (Stellenbosch 36-38).

IRELAND INDIVIDUALS
142 Gareth Shaw 73 69 (De Zalze 32-37, hole in one at the 9th).
142 Rory McIlroy 73 69 (De Zalze 35-34).
148 Simon Ward 76 72 (De Zalze 35-37).

WALES INDIVIDUALS
144 Llewellyn Matthews 71 73 (De Zalze 36-37).
145 Nigel Edwards 75 70 (De Zalze 36-34).
149 Rhys Davies 73 76 (De Zalze 41-35).