Scott Gibson aims to be king of Princes

SCOTT Gibson produced an inspirational performance at Princes on the Kent coast yesterday in the stroke-play phase of the Amateur Championship.

The 20-year-old East Tennessee State University student fired a stunning four-under-par 68 for a 141 aggregate to grab a place among the eight seeds alongside fellow Scot Graeme Robertson. They led seven Scottish qualifiers into the knockout stages.

Gibson, the former Scottish schools champion from Southerness, started well, picking up a stroke at the second courtesy of a six-foot putt and at the short eighth he put his tee shot with a 6-iron to within five inches of the pin on his way to the turn in 34. His only dropped stroke was at the tenth.

Glenbervie’s Robertson returned a 70 at Princes with halves of 34 and 36. He and Gibson ended the stroke-play phase just one stroke behind top qualifiers Craig Hinton and Adrian Meronk.

Scottish champion Grant Forrest of Craigielaw qualified on 146 after a 74 yesterday at Deal although his back nine contained four bogeys mainly through indifferent driving. Fraser McKenna of Balmore, Eamon Bradley of Moun Ellen, Alexander Culverwell of Dunbar and MacDonald’s Adam Dunton are among other Scots to qualify.