Byrne proves that Scotsmen can putt with Muirfield run

WITH the iconic clubhouse of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers providing a spectacular backdrop, James Byrne picked the perfect moment to show that Scottish golfers maybe aren't poor putters after all.

Much has been made of Scots underperforming with the flat stick in their hands in recent years, but Byrne, perhaps helped by the fact he gets to play and practise on decent surfaces most of the time at Arizona State University, is holing the putts that matter in the Amateur Championship at Muirfield.

In his third-round match yesterday morning against Germany's Stephan Jaeger, the 21-year-old from Banchory rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt under intense pressure on the last to clinch victory, keeping Scottish interest alive in the process following earlier defeats for his fellow countrymen, Jordan Findlay and Michael Stewart.

Byrne then beat Alex Christie, one of seven English players to make it to the last 16, by 2 and 1 in the afternoon and now meets Frenchman Edouard Espana, who, based on his two wins yesterday over Walker Cup squad members Stiggy Hodgson and Alan Dunbar, will be a dangerous opponent for the Scot in the quarter-finals this morning.

"They are the kind of putts you need to hole to get you going," said Byrne of the downhill effort that also had a six-inch break on it.

The north-east player, who admits he was drawn to Arizona State by the fact Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, Pat Perez, Grace Park and Anna Nordqvist amongst others went there, too, before going on to become successful Tour professionals, is unfazed by being the home man left carrying the Saltire in East Lothian.

"The nerves I am feeling are good ones and help me focus when I need to," said Byrne, who has already gone one better than 12 months ago, when he reached the last 16 at Formby.

Golf, meanwhile, has been put into perspective for England's Matthew Nixon and Welshman Rhys Enoch, who meet this morning in another of the quarter-finals. Both have suffered huge heartache in the last year or so, Nixon's 19-year-old girlfriend dying from cancer and Enoch's younger brother, a talented golfer himself, being killed in a car crash.

Nixon, 21, who won the British Boys' Championship at Royal Aberdeen four years ago, claimed the scalp of leading qualifier Tommy Fleetwood, one of the players, ironically, who helped him get back playing golf after a testing time in his young life.

"I had a month off earlier in the year after losing my girlfriend to cancer just after Christmas," said the Ashton-under-Lyne player. "Her name was Anja Barnacott and she was 19. She started having chemotherapy in April, just after I met her. She had stem cell transplant but had a relapse and went back into hospital. That was on 19 November and they said she'd be in for a month but never came out.

"It wasn't a nice thing to experience but it has made me a stronger person. I had some good friends who helped me through it and I probably wouldn't be here just now without their support. It put my life into perspective – golf is just a game now.

Nixon clinched his one-hole win over Fleetwood, beaten finalist at Turnberry two years ago, by hitting a majestic approach to three-and-a-half feet at the last. "Tommy has twice beaten me in Lanacashire County finals so it is about time I got one over on him," noted Nixon.

Enoch's brother, Ben, was on his way to play a practice round for the Lytham Trophy a year past April when he was killed in a car crash. "For a while afterwards you don't really care about anything," admitted Rhys, who has the word 'BEEN', his brother's nickname, embroidered on his East Tennessee State University shirt in his memory.

In his morning match with Findlay, Enoch, who was one down with one to play, looked to be heading for an exit when he produced an untimely shank. But, helped by a decent lie in the thick rough, the 22-year-old was able to make a 5, good enough to force extra-time after Findlay, who had been bunkered off the tee, then three-putted from 35 feet.

Both players were through the back at the 19th after getting flyers from rough with their second shots but Enoch, who had a much easier lie than the Scot, salvaged a par to go through.

Up against Paul Cutler, the Irishman who won the Lytham Trophy this year, Stewart covered the last ten holes in four-under-par and eagled the long 17th to square matters only for his opponent to hole from eight feet for a match-winning birdie at the last.