Golf: Cochrane sails into semis of Lothian Boys’ Championship

CALLUM COCHRANE, last year’s beaten finalist, moved into the semi-finals of the Lothians Boys’ Championship last night without having to pick up a club.

The Marriott Dalmahoy player was handed a walkover after his opponent, Tantallon’s Lewis Reid, had to withdraw.

Reid has also been competing this week in the US Kids Golf European Championship in East Lothian and had only just come off the course at Luffness New shortly before he was due on the tee at the Braids.

It meant Cochrane progressed to the last four for the second year running and is now just two wins away from making amends for his defeat in the final 12 months ago to Lewis Bain from Turnhouse.

His opponent in tonight’s semi-finals will be another Tantallon player after Calum Hill beat Mikey Reid from Turnhouse by 5 and 4 in their last-eight clash.

Hill, who reached the semi- finals in last year’s Scottish Boys at Dunbar, was solid rather than spectacular, recording just one birdie as he progressed to the last four.

The other match tonight will be an all-East Lothian affair involving Royal Musselburgh’s Stuart Blair and Fraser Johnston from Longniddry.

Blair produced solid golf for the second night running as he accounted for Dunbar’s Michael Boddie, conqueor of defending champion and leading qualifier Bain in the first round.

Boddie had holed everything he looked at in that match but saw his putter turn cold as he tumbled out, losing 5 and 4.

Johnston maintained his impressive progress with a 4 and 2 win over Pumpherston’s Andrew Loch.

Three down with three to play, Loch’s hopes of a spectacular fightback disappeared as his drive at the 16th disappeared into the gorse.

Second-round results: Calum Cochrane (Dalmahoy) bt Lewis Reid (Tantallon) by a walkover; Calum Hill (Tantallon) bt Mikey Reid (Turnhouse) 5 and 4; Stuart Blair (Royal Musselburgh) bt Michael Boddie (Dunbar) 5 and 4; Fraser Johnston (Longniddry) bt Andrew Loch (Pumpherston) 4 and 2.