Golf: Six of the best from Lothians

The 20-year-old was three down with eight to play and still two down with two to play but beat the Great Britain & Ireland squad member at the 19th.

"The front nine was probably the poorest I've played this week but I managed to grind it out," said Kay, who clearly likes match-play, having reached the semi-finals in the Scottish Boys' at Royal Aberdeen two years ago.

"I had a slow start to the season but have been encouraged by a couple of good results recently," added Kay after joining Neil Henderson, James Ross, Greg Richards, Zander Culverwell and Greg Smail in the fourth round.

Henderson's putter has been as hot as the weather on the Ayrshire coast this week.

"I've been standing over every putt from 25 feet in thinking I'm going to hole it - and most of the time I have," revealed the 21-year-old Glen member after a thumping 6 and 4 win over Gullane's Stuart Roberts in the third round.

Henderson, who was under par in winning his all-Lothian clash with Roberts, is back home for the summer from Old Dominion University in Virginia.

"I've got one more year to go and there's no doubt my game has improved as a result of being over in the States," said the former Scottish Junior Champion of Champion.

"I played well in the last three or four events before I came home, finishing fifth in this year's Conference Championship at Pinehurst."

Both Ross and Richards are also at college in the States.

Royal Burgess man Ross won his third-round match 6 and 4 after opponent George Finlay from Ballumbie Castle got off to a nightmare start.

"It's nice to feel as though I am competing here and I am thoroughly enjoying the course," said the 21-year-old, who is transferring from Michigan State to Houston when he goes back to the States.

"One of my strengths is normally hitting fairways and that's something you definitely need to do here."

Kingsknowe's Richards, who is returning to the University of Savannah after the summer break, continued his impressive progress with a 4 and 3 win over Jeff Wright of Forres.

Culverwell, who is on a golf scholarship closer to home at Stirling, progressed with a 2 and 1 win over Daniel McConnachie from Dumfries & County.

"It was a scrappy game with never more than a hole in it," said the 2006 Lothians champion, who edged in front when his opponent lost a ball at the 16th then won the next as well with a par.

The Dunbar player is among a whole crop of players benefiting enormously from having Dean Robertson as the head coach at Stirling.

"With Dean helping with the mental side and Ian Young still giving me good advice about my swing, I'm getting the best of both worlds," added Culverwell.

Smail, from Craigielaw, won at the 19th against Bonnyton's Andrew McLachlan, but clubmate Ross Noon's brave run in the event came to an end as he lost 4 and 2 to Hazlehead's David Law, the winner at Troon two years ago.

All square after ten, Law won four of the next six holes to keep alive his hopes of a Walker Cup appearance on home soil in Aberdeen in September.

Grant Forrest, another Craigielaw hopeful, lost to second seed James Byrne while the only other Lothians player to exit in the third round was Dalmahoy's Dougie Hunter, who lost at the fifth extra hole - the longest match of the week - against Scotland cap Brian Soutar.

Second-round casualties included Baberton's Paul Ferrier and Musselburgh's Cameron Marr, who went out to seed James White.