Amateur Championship: Soutar is primed for head-to-head combat

Golf Correspondent

Monday 18 June 2012

The Open, the Masters and the US Open.

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Nick Rodger

Those are the carrots on the stick that's being dangled in front of the 288 players competing in the 117th Amateur Championship, which gets under way today over the rigorous links of Royal Troon and Gailes.

While the opportunity to join a decorated roll of honour provides plenty of inspiration, the major rewards that come with winning the unpaid game's most cherished title gives an added incentive.Two decades ago, Stephen Dundas plundered the prize at Carnoustie. In the 20 years that have passed, Gordon Sherry, Craig Watson and Stuart Wilson have all tasted success while Sherry, Roger Beames, John Gallagher, James Byrne and Michael Stewart have been beaten finalists. The Scots have always relished and flourished in the cut and thrust of the matchplay arena and the current crop will be eager to shine on home soil this week.Brian Soutar showed his liking for head-to-head combat earlier this season when he won the South African Open crown and the 28-year-old Leven member is hoping the lingering feel-good factor from that triumph can be a useful weapon in his armoury for this Ayrshire assault."I played in last year's Amateur and missed the cut, but I feel better-equipped this time," said Soutar, who has yet to make his mark on the UK amateur circuit this season. "I proved I can win a big tournament and I have the ability to do it again."Soutar will be joined in the line-up by SGU order of merit leader Graeme Robertson, former Scottish Boys' champion James White and Balmore's Fraser McKenna, a two-time winner on the domestic scene this year.

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Amateur Championship: Soutar is primed for head-to-head combat

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