Golf: Top-class Gullane test will be just champions

A SHOWDOWN was on the cards at Gullane today in the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship - between the two current Lothians title holders.

Kingsknowe's Allyn Dick, the men's champion, and Simon Fairburn, winner of the boys' event for the last two years, set up their head-on clash after winning second-round ties last night.

Dick, a man on form following his Newlands Trophy triumph at Lanark recently, beat Dunbar's Danny Kay 2 and 1.

And, minutes later, he was joined in the last 64 by Fairburn after he chalked up a 4 and 2 success over Thomas Morrison of Kilsyth Lennox.

"It will be fun to play Allyn," said Fairburn, who is entered for this event out of Torwoodlee but is also a member at Craigielaw.

Two other members of the East Lothian club, Grant Forrest and Sean Deegan, are also through to the third round, as is rising Musselburgh star Cameron Marr.

Forrest beat Dunbar's Zander Culverwell 5 and 4 in an all-Lothians clash, the Scottish Boys' champion covering the first five holes in two under after holing from 12 feet at the first and then hitting his approach at the fifth to three feet.

"My short game is pretty sharp just now so I'm scoring pretty well," said Forrest, who now plays Keith Hamilton, the Ayr Belleisle player birdieing two of the last four holes in beating Sean McGarvey of Glencorse on the 18th. Deegan, a 20-year-old who has been a member at Craigielaw for five years after cutting his golfing teeth at Prestonfield, never looked back after winning the opening two holes in beating Daniel Young of Craigie Hill.

Playing in the event for the first time - he was on the reserve list at Troon 12 months ago but didn't get in - Deegan now meets tournament favourite James Byrne.

"I had been struggling with my game for a bit but, after doing some work with Colin Brooks, have discovered some form over the last couple of weeks," said Deegan.

Marr, a 17-year-old who recently completed the championship double at Monktonhall, is also shining on his debut in the SGU's flagship event.

He recovered from being two down after two to win his second-round tie and is up against Torrance House's Alan Welsh, conqueror of boys' star Jack McDonald, on the opening day.

"I only played the course for the first time on Monday but I feel comfortable out there," said Marr, a golf student at Elmwood College in Fife.

Four other Lothians players went out in other second-round clashes - Swanston New's Malcolm Campbell, Brian Erskine (Merchants), Michael Bacigalupo of Longniddry and Kingsknowe's Greg Richards, the last-named giving seed Kris Nicol a fright before going down by 2 and 1.

In the first-round matches completed earlier on the second day, there was some notable successes for three Gullane members as well as a greenkeeper on the East Lothian course.

Alan Smith, Stuart Roberts and Martin Hopley all won their matches at the 19th, while Benn McLeod, a Royal Musselburgh member who was out cutting greens on the course at 4.30am before pulling on his golf shoes, also progressed.

McLeod holed some good putts with a new putter and admitted: "It cost me 90 but has been a good buy already."

Hopley, a 42-year-old who runs a golf website, recovered from being three down after eight before sealing his win with a birdie at the first extra hole.

North Berwick's Olly Huish, who lost to eventual winner David Law in the fifth round at Royal Troon 12 months ago, fell at the first hurdle this time.

Out in the first match on the second day, the son of former North Berwick pro David, lost by 2 and 1 to Meldrum House man Colin Brodie, a replacement for Nairn's Graham Burnett.

However, Dalmahoy's Dougie Hunter, Shane Gordon of Tantallon and Marcello Russo of Craigielaw were all rewarded for their early rises.

Hunter, who had six birdies in beating Gavin Hay of Grantown on Spey, admitted: "Gullane is one of my favourite courses - I really enjoy playing here."

Like Huish, Bathgate's Scott McLory was unable to reproduce the form that had seen him reach the fourth round in Ayrshire. He went down by 3 and 2 to Martin McCrory of Cathkin Braes in the fourth quarter, where there were some notable successes nevertheless for Lothians players.

Fraser Henderson, another member of the Craigielaw contingent, led the way and he was joined in round two by clubmate Mark Hillson as well as Robert Carson (Dalmahoy), Graham Robertson (Silverknowes), Stephen Neilson (Dunbar), Scott Young (Turnhouse) and Paul Ferrier (Baberton).

Carson stormed through by producing some of the best golf of the day. The 21-year-old bagged seven birdies in beating Falkirk Tryst's Chris Lawton by 3 and 2, quite a turnaround after he'd been one down with eight to play.

"I birdied the 12th, 13th and 15th, while Chris three-putted the 14th," reported Carson. "My putter was hotter than it has been in the last few weeks and hopefully I've turned the corner."

Hillson, the 2009 Amateur Championship quarter-finalist, rekindled his liking for match play with a 2 and 1 win over Leven Thistle's David Mitchell.

Neilson won the last after his opponent lost a ball then saw a par prove good enough at the 19th, while Young, winner of the Faldo Series in this area last year, claimed a notable scalp in beating Inchmarlo's Chris Robb.

Ferrier, the 2007 Scottish Boys' champion, was pleased with his opening win following a "wee slump" recently but headed straight off to the practice putting green to see if he could do something about a cold putter.