Round Up: Sandy Scott off to good start in US Amateur qualifying

Nairn star Scott carded a three-under-par 67 on the No 2 Course at the North Carolina resort to sit joint-fourth overall in the battle to make the knock-out phase.

But Kilmarnock (Barassie) man Walker has a fight on his hands to progress in the USGA event after he was unable to make a birdie in having to settle for a six-over-par 76 on the No 4 Course.

Scott, who won on the US college circuit earlier in the year, was one-over after six before igniting his round with back-to-back birdies.

He was back to level-par with four to play before producing a burst of three birdies in a row from the 15th.

Walker, runner-up in both the Amateur Championship and European Amateur Championship this season, never really recovered from making three bogeys in a row from the second and had six in total in an effort that left him in a share of 179th spot.

American Brandon Wu, who won The Open qualifier at Fairmont St Andrews last month, leads after a 65 on No 2, having made his score with a burst of three birdies and an eagle in the final five holes.

England’s Alex Fitzpatrick, brother of European Tour star Matt, is tied for eighth after a 68 on No 2 while Amateur champion James Sugrue had a 70 on the same course to sit in the top 30

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Gullane’s Grace Crawford is the new Scottish Girls’ Under-14s Open champion after producing an eagle to win a play-off at Elgin.

Rounds of 77-71 for a level-par aggregate left Crawford in a tie for top spot with Welsh challenger Kasumi Tran (Tenby).

Crawford had gone out in three-under in the second round and was two shots ahead before falling one behind playing the last.

But, showing her class, the young Scot birdied the par-5 18th to force a play-off then secured victory in style with her eagle as the pair head back down the first.

“I’m very excited to win,” Crawford told Scottish Golf afterwards. “Coming down 18, I was just thinking make birdie and see what happens.

“Over the two days, I felt I played very well. I really like this course and I thought I played really solid, especially today.”

The under-16s title went to Portugal’s Sofia Barroso Sá, who shot rounds of 75-71 for a one-shot success over Grace Mayo from Wales.

Top Scot in that event was Loretto School’s Eilidh Henderson, who finished 12th after bouncing back from an opening 85 with a much-improved 72.

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Blairgowrie 12-year-old Connor Graham finished runner-up in the Scottish Boys’ Under-14s Open Championship at Newmachar.

Pride of place at the Aberdeenshire venue went to Hagley’s Hugh Adams, who stormed to an eight-shot success following rounds of 62-72 for a brilliant 10-under-par total.

But it was also a splendid effort from Graham as he followed an opening 73 with a 69 to finish alongside French youngster David Guyot in the international field.

The excellent effort came a fortnight after Graham had also underlined his potential when giving a good account of himself in the Scottish Amateur Championship at Crail.

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