‘Chill’ warms hearts with Scottish Boys’ title charge

IN AN event being played in conditions a lot colder than normal for the time of the year, a player nicknamed “Chill” is making ominous progress in the Scottish Boys’ Championship at Monifieth.

Calum Hill, a 17-year-old from North Berwick, came through in extra holes for the second time in three matches to book his place in the last 32, where he meets Murcar’s Christoper Somers this morning.

“I think it was on one of the trips with the Scotland team,” said Hill, a Tantallon member, of how his moniker was born, one that could well be an omen in the nippy conditions, though it was a bit warmer yesterday on the Angus coast than earlier in the week.

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A semi-finalist at Dunbar two years ago, Hill crashed out in the first round last year but the No 8 seed this week has seen his game come on leaps and bounds since then under the guidance of coach Alan Murdoch.

While Murdoch, who’d been present earlier in the week, had to return to Kings Acre yesterday to take care of his day job – the PGA professional is also head coach of the Merchiston Castle Golf Academy – he’d have been proud of the way Hill kept his title dream alive.

Two down at the turn against Crow Wood’s Kieran Stark, he was still trailing when they arrived at the 18th but won that with a birdie-4, hitting his approach with a rescue club from around 200 yards close to trees to around 15 feet.

“I’d hit a similar shot in a practice round so I knew I still had a chance,” insisted Hill, who, after holing a three-footer for a half at the ninth, secured the win with another par at the next.

Ben Kinsley, the other beaten semi-finalist from two years ago, is also on course to improve on that effort after he managed to survive a “Group of Death” in the second quarter.

It left the seeded George Burns, 2012 bronze medallist Connar Cook and SGU Junior Tour event winner Alexander Wilson as casualties, though Kinsley will not be letting his foot off the gas just yet.

“Anything can happen in match-play but I’m pleased to have beaten George as I knew I’d probably be playing him in the third round as soon as the draw came out,” said the 17-year-old from St Andrews after a hard-earned 2 & 1 win despite being four up after seven.

While the majority of the players in the field are still trying to shake off early-season rust, Ewan Scott’s game is pretty polished after playing in tournaments in Australia, South Africa and China since the turn of the year.

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“My game still feels good,” reported Kinsley’s fellow 17-year-old St Andrean after recovering from an early setback – he was behind after losing the second – to beat Troon Welbeck’s Murray McCrone on the 17th.

“He made me work for it as I was having to make birdies,” added Scott, who was being watched by coach Steve North and spent some time with him on the practice putting green before making the 30-minute journey home to enjoy a night in his own bed.

“While the greens are a good pace, I’ve been struggling a bit with my putting but hopefully it can turn around tomorrow,” said last year’s beaten finalist.

The player he beat in the last four 12 months ago, Cowglen’s Alan Waugh, is also still standing after three long and exhausting days in the SGU event, in which the majority of the players had to come through two jousts yesterday.

Waugh, who was a goalkeeper for St Mirren at pro-youth level before choosing golf as his preferred career path, won five holes in a row from the seventh as he beat Paul Lawrie’s elder son, Craig, by 5 & 3. “I was a bit nervous at first,” said the 18-year-old Cowglen player of Lawrie Snr looking on. “But it was nice to play well in front of him and he came over and wished me well at the end, which was good of him.”

The 1999 Open champion also offered his congratulations to Connor Syme after he beat Lawrie’s other son, 14-year-old Michael, in a contest between the offspring of two PGA professionals – the winner’s dad, Stuart, being the club pro at Dumfries & County.

Coincidentally, Syme won the Paul Lawrie Foundation-sponsored Scottish Schools’ Championship last year and, having justified his sixth seeding so far in this event, he’s in with a great chance of completing a notable double.

Also still standing is Ben Craggs, whose father Kevin is the Scottish ladies’ national coach, while Callum Cochrane, the Lothians under-18 champion, recovered from two down at the turn to the delight of his father Gordon. A banker in St Lucia, he has travelled home to add moral support this week.

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Completing a triumvirate of St Andrews hopefuls in the fourth round is Alasdair McDougall, who partnered Dutchman Joost Luiten in last year’s Dunhill Links Championship and, after squeezing through at the 19th against Aberdour’s Daniel Neilson, now meets the aforementioned Waugh.

Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil, the No 2 seed, finished the second of his two games in the dark after a third-round clash didn’t start until 5.20pm due to Greenock’s Paul Dorrian being taken to extra holes earlier in the day.

Neil secured his last-32 spot with a 4 and 2 success while Andrew Kenyon from Inverness was also rewarded for keeping going late in the day as he won through at the 20th just after 8.30pm.

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