David Law lays down Walker Cup marker with opening win

DAVID Law may have been omitted from the latest Walker Cup get-together but the Aberdonian certainly hasn't given up on his hopes of making the Great Britain & Ireland side to face the Americans on his doorstep in September.

"A win here would put me right back in the frame," the 20-year-old declared after opening his Scottish Amateur Championship bid with a comfortable 5 and 4 first-round win over Martin McCrory from Cathkin Braes on a sunny but breezy day on the Ayrshire coast.

Law, a double Scottish champion in 2009, was a surprise omission in the GB&I squad that was picked at the end of last year, especially when he has such a good match-play record and had also joined Royal Aberdeen with the biennial event in mind.

His hopes of making the final ten were raised following a call-up to an earlier get-together in the north-east organised by captain Nigel Edwards only to then be omitted from an 18-strong group that met up again at the match venue last week.

"I wouldn't say it was a blow but I was a little surprised," added Law, who still believes he has time after this week to convince Edwards and his fellow selectors that he deserves to play in the first Walker Cup in Scotland since Luke Donald and Paul Casey played in a winning team at Nairn in 1999.

"I'm sure they'll be looking for players on form and, with both the European Individual Championship and Home Internationals still to come before the team is picked, you can never say never."

After negotiating his first hurdle, Law described Western Gailes as a "good match-play course" and is expecting some shocks as the SGU's flagship event progresses. "Even when it is calm it is tricky out there," said the man who won this title a few miles down the coast at Troon two years ago. "The greens are small and the fairways are quite quirky."

Ross Kellett, who took part in the two-day session at Royal Aberdeen along with fellow GB&I squad members Michael Stewart, James Byrne and Kris Nicol, also has his sights set on a win this week to boost his hopes of facing an American side that will include man-of-the-moment Patrick Cantley.

Like Law, the Colville Park player produced a polished first-day performance to overcome Kirkintilloch's Billy Campbell 6 and 4, admitting he'd benefited from advice he'd received about some pin positions from Ayrshire native Stewart during a practice round on Saturday.

"He told me about some places not to be," said Kellett before turning his thoughts to the Walker Cup.

"A win here would help," admitted the 23-year-old, "but they've been watching us for the last two years now so I think they know what they are going to get from us."Stewart, who is surely a certainty to be heading back to Royal Aberdeen for the real thing in just under two months' time, launched the defence of his title with a 4 and 3 win over Bonnyton's David Docherty.

The Troon Welbeck played signed off with three birdies - two of them for wins - and confessed he was happy to be in a quarter of the draw that included a possee of fellow internationals, including Paul Shields, Steven McEwan, Gordon Yates, Craig Watson and Jordan Findlay, the player he beat to win the title at Gullane 12 months ago.

"It's good that I've got some tough names around me as that switches me on straight away," said Stewart, who played here quite a bit when his grandfather was a member and probably knows it as well as anyone left in the field following the exit of host club man Paul McKellar.

A two-time beaten finalist in the 1970s, when he also lost out in an Amateur Championship title decider to Peter McEvoy, McKellar set a new amateur course record last May and had his sights set on a re-match with Stewart, whom he beat at Troon two years ago.

However, in a match that was level at the turn, the 55-year-old failed to produce his best golf in losing to Ladybank's Alister Hain, who now meets Sean Lawrie, the nephew of former Open champion Paul.

McEwan, who lost to Callum Macaulay in the final at Carnoustie three years ago, progressed after coming from three down with six to play to beat Longniddry's Michael Bacigalupo at the 19th, but the opening day delivered a surprise early exit for Fifer Greg Paterson.

One of the eight seeds and a semi-finalist in this year's Amateur Championship at Hillside, the St Andrews New man succumbed to Scott Michie, who is a former Fife team captain but now plays his golf at Kinross, though the 43-year-old has not tasted much competitive action lately due to the fact he's been renovating a house in Dunfermline.