Sandy Scott and Euan Walker survived their opening knock-our rounds in the Amateur Championship on a day of mixed fortunes for the small Scots contingent at Portmarnock.
While reigning Scottish champion Euan McIntosh and Australia-based Connor McKinney were ousted, Scott and Walker battled their way through to the last 32.
Scott, the former Scottish Boys’ Strokeplay champion from Nairn, edged out Norway’s Markus Braadlie by one hole while Barassie man Walker claimed a two hole win over Ireland’s Eanna Griffin.
McIntosh, the 50-year-old Turnhouse member, saw his hopes thwarted by Italian youngster Ricardo Leo, who won by a 4 and 3 margin. McKinney went down at the 19th hole of a tight tussle with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
Meanwhile, Oban’s Robert MacIntyre can wrap up a debut appearance in next month’s Open Championship at this week’s BMW International Open in Germany.
After this latest stop on the European Tour, the leading five players in the top 20 of the circuit’s order of merit, who are not already exempt into the Open, will gain a tee-time for Royal Portrush.
MacIntyre, with back-to-back runners-up finishes on the circuit last month, is sitting in 13th place on the money list with all but one player above him on the rankings already in the Open field.
“He’s in good shape,” said MacIntyre’s manager Iain Stoddart. “There can often be some strange scenarios in golf but we don’t envisage that. If he makes the cut, he should be fine but it’s best not to tempt fate.”
At the British Club Professionals’ Championship, meanwhile, Alastair Forsyth continued to stamp his authority on affairs with a brilliant nine-under 63 for a 16-under halfway tally of 128 at Hunstanton.
The two-time European Tour winner reeled off seven birdies in a charging back-nine of 28 which left the 43-year-old seven shots clear at the top.
Forsyth’s fellow Scot and the 2017 champion, Paul O’Hara, was on nine-under with the Tartan Tour presence in the top-10 being bolstered by Christopher McMaster, Greig Hutcheon and Craig Lee.
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