Childhood friends Stewart and Findlay surge into Gullane final

MICHAEL Stewart and Jordan Findlay, who've been friends for nine years and also had a spell together at East Tennessee State University, will meet in the final of the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship today after producing the best golf of the week in the last-four matches at Gullane.

The pair were a combined 13-under-par in winning their semi-finals on a benign afternoon on the East Lothian coast, Stewart racking up five birdies and an eagle in ending the brave run of Dunbar's Stephen Neilson, who obviously angered his opponent after going two up early on, and Findlay firing eight birdies as he beat Banchory's James Byrne, the top seed, on the last green in a pulsating tie.

Stewart, a 20-year-old former Scottish Boys champion from Troon, and Findlay, a 22-year-old former British Boys' champion from Fraserburgh, have known each other since they first became involved in the national set-up at 11 and 13 respectively and were foursomes partners in a Scotland Under-16s side. They also joined forces to help Scotland win the Boys' Home Internationals at Moray in 2006 and were reunited for a spell on the other side of the Atlantic. Findlay's last year at East Tennessee State University was Stewart's first and the Ayrshireman admitted after securing his place in today's 36-hole final in East Lothian that he had a lot to thank his opponent for.

"Jordan was a great help to me. Because of his experience, he made my first year a lot easier," said Stewart. "In fact, he must have a sore back carrying me since we first played together. It is going to be tough playing him in the final and we'll be doing our best to beat each other. But I never forget my friends."

Stewart, who has been coached by Ian Rae for the last 18 months, arrived here a few days after being diagnosed with shingles but is still going strong. Despite finding himself two down to Neilson after five holes, he was pleased with how he was striking the ball and turned the match thanks to a magical touch around the green.

After almost holing his second at the sixth, the Troon Welbeck player knocked in a 15-footer for another birdie at the next, chipped dead for a hole-winning par at the eighth, then rolled in an 18-foot putt for a 2 at the ninth. It was brilliant stuff and how fitting that Stewart should clinch his 4 and 3 win in style, hitting his second from 290 yards to inside six feet for a conceded eagle.

"After being diagnosed with shingles, I spoke to Ian (Rae] and my dad and we agreed it was a case of trying to get as much rest as I could before coming through here. I had done five days of technical stuff with Ian the previous week so over the weekend I just played golf and went to bed.Apart from a bit of tiredness, I've actually felt okay this week," said Stewart.

He's certainly feeling a lot better than he did 12 months ago when, on home territory, Stewart was knocked out in the first round by veteran Paul McKellar at Royal Troon. "Last year I was thinking about winning the tournament before I stepped on to the first tee because I put a lot of pressure on myself in a bid to make the Walker Cup team," he reflected. "I've been a lot more patient this year, trying only to think of playing one shot at a time."

Stewart, who has decided not to return to East Tennessee State after the summer, explained: "I've got people around me here, such as Ian Rae, who I'm comfortable with. I want to play in the Eisenhower Trophy this year (Scotland defend that in Argentina in October] and then the Walker Cup next year - that means a lot to me, especially in Scotland (at Royal Aberdeen] - before going to the Tour School as an amateur at the end of next year."

Findlay, who saw out his full term in the States but concedes he learned more in terms of life skills than necessarily progressing as a golfer at East Tennessee, described his win over Byrne, another of his good friends, as "amazing" and no wonder. He was also down early on but, helped by birdies at the third, seventh, eighth, 11th and 12th, the Bob Torrance-coached player headed back towards the clubhouse with a two-hole lead.

However, after losing the 15th, where he missed a shortish downhill putt, Findlay turned to Tara, his American girlfriend and caddie, and said: "I'll need to finish 3-3-3 to win." How right he was. After halving the short 16th in pars, Byrne, who lost despite being five-under, holed from 15 feet for a birdie at the 17th and then 20 feet for another one at the last, with Findlay following him in from five feet and seven feet to clinch his place in the final.

"I've played exactly the same all week, but the difference today was I holed some putts," said Findlay, a certainty now, win or lose today, to earn a first full Scotland cap in next month's Home Internationals in Wales.

The highlight of the morning quarter-finals was a hole-in-one at the fourth for Byrne, the second high-profile ace of his career - he also had one in the 2007 Scottish Challenge at Cardrona - and fifth overall helping him gain revenge on Michael Smyth, his first-round conqueror in Ayrshire 12 months ago.