SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - Three Ayrshire players into last sixteen at blairgowrie

Three of the six Ayrshire qualifiers for the matchplay stages of the Scottish Amateur Championship have made it through to the last sixteen following the first two rounds of matchplay on Thursday 2nd August.

Stuart Easton

Stuart Easton (Irvine) showed his true fighting spirit in his two ties coming back from two behind with three to play against John Paterson (St Andrews New) in the morning to win at the first extra hole, and recovering again from a two hole deficit late in his afternoon match against Andrew Ni (Murrayfield) before winning through to the last sixteen with a single hole victory.


In the third round of matchplay on Friday morning, Easton takes on Andrew Thomson (Lanark) for a place in the quarter finals.

Jim Johnstone

Jim Johnstone (Ayr Belleisle) had a much more comfirtable passage to the last sixteen.

A 4 & 2 win over George Duncan (Windyhill) in the morning was followed by a 5 & 4 win over Michael Brodie (Alyth) in the afternoon, to secure a third round meeting with Nurtai Saldarov (Craigielaw) on Friday.

Euan Walker

The third Ayrshire player who will feature in the last sixteen on Friday morning is Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) who beat Andrew Thornton (Lundin) by 5 & 3 in the opening round and followed that with a one hole victory against Eric McIntosh (Bruntsfield Links) in the afternopon.

On Friday morning Walker will play Robbie Morrison (Royal Perth) to decide who progresses to the quarter finals.

Sandy Buchanan

Of the other three Ayrshire qualifiers for the matchplay stages, Sandy Buchanan (Prestwick St Nicholas) beat Connor Wilson (castle Park) by 2 & 1 in the morning before losing out by the same score to Kyle Godsman (Moray) in the afternoon, whilst Ben Ferguson from Australia, who is a member at Turnberry, lost by 3 & 2 to Lewis Bryce-Maynard (Moray) in the opening round and Louis Murray (Troon Welbeck) bowed out in the opening round with a 3 & 2 defeat to Andrew Ni (Murrayfield).

Ben Ferguson

Louis Murray

The matchplay continues on Friday and Saturday with the 36 hole final scheduled to take place on Sunday.