16/08/12

Savage is on form south of the border at Boys

Elderslie’s Alasdair McDougall and Jamie Savage of Cawder will carry Scottish hopes in the last-32 of the knockout phase for The Boys Amateur Championship tomorrow.

McDougall, the plus-one handicapper, came through qualifying for the top 64 and ties with a few strokes to spare and immediately progressed further this morning.

McDougall was a 2&1 winner over Philipp Matlari from Germany, but there was not such good news for Liberton’s Anthony Blaney who lost out 2&1 in his last-64 tie against Yannick Paul, another German.

Stephen Gallacher Foundation Scottish Boys’ Stroke Play champion Greig Marchbank (Dumfries & County), Bradley Neil of Blairgowrie, Angus Carrick (Douglas Park) and Savage were the other Scots to qualify for the matchplay stage.

But while Savage, the SGU National Boys' Squad player, continued his bid with a one-hole victory over Ryan Cornfield (Enville), Marchbank, Neil and Carrick all bowed out.

Marchbank was unable to stop a masterclass from Oscar Granstrom-Livesey (Royal Mid-Surrey), as he lost 4&3. Carrick, meanwhile, was beaten 2&1 by talented English international Toby Tree, while Neil was edged out by one hole against Zach Galliford from Borth & Ynyslas.

The likes of Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Boys champion Craig Howie (Peebles) and Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths champion Ewan Scott (St Andrews) were among those who failed to qualify for the match play stage on Wednesday.

A field of 252 golfers from more than 20 countries set out at the start of the week, competing at Notts (Hollinwell) and Coxmoor Golf Clubs in Nottinghamshire.

Some of the world’s leading amateur golfers aged 18 and under are battling it out to make Sunday’s final in the 86th staging of the championship.

>> Click here for the last-64 scores from The Boys Amateur Championship