04/08/12
Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest is in control at the halfway stage of the Scottish Amateur Championship at Royal Dornoch, opening up a four-hole lead over Richard Docherty from Bearsden.
On a day when the early morning mist lifted to provide glorious playing conditions, both players struggled to find top form, perhaps due to the pressure of the occasion.
Forrest was round in an approximate one-over-par 71 for the opening 18 holes, while Dumbartonshire county match play champion Docherty was four shots worse off to hand the East Lothian player the advantage going into the afternoon.
Forrest, the 19-year-old bidding to win a third national title, hit a poor iron shot into a right bunker off the first tee while Docherty, 22, hooked a rescue club into rough as they immediately started poorly.
Forrest, who is soon to begin his second year at the University of San Diego, recovered to make par and win the hole, before settling the quicker to reel off three more wins and stand four up after four holes.
At the second, Docherty missed the par-3 green to the left, then bunkered his drive on the third before Forrest rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on four.
Only a superb sand save from Docherty on the sixth saved another loss, but his bogey on seven meant he trailed five down.
With a decent crowd following the action, the Bearsden man claimed his first win at the ninth after firing a brilliant rescue club to 15 feet.
Forrest’s lost ball on the 12th saw Docherty cut the deficit only for him to three-putt the 14th from the front fringe as Forrest, the SGU National Men's Squad player, won the hole with a brilliant chip up and down.
Docherty, though, rallied again, making birdie on 15 from four feet and winning the 16th with a concession after Forrest had bunkered his tee shot.
However, Forrest, perhaps crucially, claimed the 18th with a par after Docherty missed the green left and was unable to make his 4.