Hamilton's Mid-Amateur win is one to cherish

WHILE many of the world's leading amateurs were competing at Muirfield, a bricklayer from Ballochmyle Golf Club was enjoying a special moment in his career.

The Scottish Mid-Amateur Championship may be have been perceived to be well down the pecking order on a particularly enticing fixture list this season, but Craig Hamilton for one won't give a jot about that after beating Craig Watson of the host club in the final at East Renfrewshire.

Watson's own glory moment came when he beat South African Trevor Immelman, who went on to win the 2008 Masters, in the Amateur Championship at Royal St George's in 1997 – and for Hamilton this was a win of equal stature.

Some believe the Scottish Mid-Amateur, which is open to players 25 and over, is a waste of time and the British equivalent has been scrapped by the R&A. At a time, however, when it is ever harder for the genuine amateurs to compete on a level footing in the order of merit events, an event like this is there to give a player such as Craig Hamilton a chance to shine. It would be a shame if the powers that be were to deny players of his ilk their day in the sun.