SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - First round completed

The Scottish Amateur Trophy

The first round matches in the 2011 Scottish Amateur Championship, being played at Western Gailes this week, were completed on Tuesday, with a number of second round matches also decided in the afternoon, as the championship moves towards a 36 hole final on Saturday.

Allan Thomson

Of the first five Ayrshire players in first round action on Tuesday morning, only veteran Allan Thomson (Ayr Belleisle) won through to the second round, beating Simon Barras (Helensburgh) by 2 & 1. Thomson now faces a second round tie on Wednesday morning against Simon Lockhart (Bathgate).

First Ayrshire player to exit from the Tuesday morning first round matches was David Strachan (Turnberry) who lost by 3 & 2 to Fraser McKenna (Balmore).

Scottish Boys Champion David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) also made a first round exit, going down by 2 & 1 to Dan Lawrence (Ballumbie Castle).

Andrew Wright (Kilmarnock Barassie) crashed to a 6 & 4 defeat from Daniel Kay (Dunbar) whilst Ayrshire Boys Champion  Charlie Macneal (Troon Welbeck) was on the wrong end of a 4 & 2 result against Richard Docherty (Bearsden).

In the only all Ayrshire first round match, late replacement Graeme Rowan (Ballochmyle) made the most of his opportunity with a victory over Stuart Crosbie (Turnberry) at the first extra hole. Rowan now faces Kevin Louchrie (Cambuslang) on Wednesday in the second round.

Ewan McKinnon (Corrie) is also through to round two after beating Greig Marchbank (Dumfries & County) by 2 & 1. McKinnon now plays Angus Carrick (Douglas Park) for a place in the third round.

Irvine Ravenspark's George Robertson plays Scott Borrowman (Dollar) in the second round on Wednesday morning after winning his first round match against Andrew Weir (Montrose Merchantile) by one hole in round one on Tuesday.

Jamie Murchie (Lamlash) and Bert Ferguson (Royal Troon) both made first round exits, Murchie being defeated 3 & 1 by Stewart Henderson (Hamilton) whilst Ferguson lost by 6 & 5 to Chris Lawton (Falkirk Tryst). Lawton now faces a second round tie against another Ayrshire player in Jamie Sharp (Western Gailes) who beat Nick MacAndrew (Cullen) at the 3rd extra hole to progress.

Scott Brown (Turnberry) is also through to round two after beating Kristopher Clelland (Haggs Castle) by 3 & 1, and now faces James Hendry (Glasgow) for a place in the third round.

Former Ayrshire Boys Champion Colin Robinson (Largs), back from college in America, lost out by 4 & 2 to Jordan McColl (Scotscraig) in his first round match.

Stuart Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) had a tough task against number two seed and Scotland internationalist James Byrne (Banchory) and was soundly beaten by 7 & 6.

The last two Ayrshire players to complete their first round ties were both succesful, John Shanks (Irvine) beating Sean Burgess (Nairn) by 2 & 1 to book a second round tie against Ben Renfrew (Wynyard), whilst Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) won 4 & 3 against Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) to set up a second round match against Stuart McKechnie (Greenburn).

The closure of the first round matches left 20 Ayrshire players remaining amongst the 128 competitors still hoping to secure the title.

Stephen Murray

The second round matches commenced on Tuesday afternoon and opened with an all Ayrshire clash between Stephen McEwan (Caprington) and Stephen Murray (Troon Welbeck). Both proven matchplay players, the match proved to be as close as expected, with Stephen Murray eventually winning through at the first extra hole. Murray now faces a third round tie on Wednesday against Michael Campbell (Renfrew)

Michael Stewart

Also playing in the early second round ties was defending champion Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) who overwhelmed his opponent Scott Moffat (Braehead), beating him by 7 & 6 to go into round three, where he continues his defence against Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth).

A further Ayrshire casualty in the second round matches was Gavin Lawrie (Prestwick St Nicholas) who was edged out by Adam Dunton (McDonald), by one hole.

The remaining sixteen Ayrshire players involved in the second round will complete their matches on Wednesday morning with all the third round matches scheduled to be finished by Thursday evening.