FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
Archie Finnie surprised himself by securing the Scottish Boys Amateur Championship at Bruntsfield Links despite some last-ditch heroics from runner-up Ross Laird.
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society player won by two holes but his opponent certainly made him sweat thanks to birdies at the 16th and 17th which cut his lead to one. With seven to play the gap had been four holes.
At the 18th the Glenbervie junior, who is a member of the Scottish national performance squad, could only bogey leaving Archie two for it from five feet and the match was conceded.
“It feels amazing,” Archie told scottishgolf.org. “I came into this week with not many expectations. I knew I’d been practising a lot and getting better so it’s great to see the rewards.
“I had a great game with Ross. I was a nervous standing on the 18th hole but I knew I had been swinging it well all week. I was a bit disappointed when my second shot didn’t run quite as far as I thought it would, but the chip was good and I fancied myself to two-putt from five feet if I’d had to.”
Archie, who won a Stephen Gallacher Foundation event at Castle Park last month, qualified for the knockout stages in 13th with the top 64 making it into round one. Blairgowrie’s Gregor Graham led the 36-hole strokeplay stage by a remarkable seven shots thanks to a course-record-equalling 63 and 65 (-14).
The top seed went out in the third round to Bothwell Castle’s Callum Waugh while Archie made impressive progress and in the semi-final faced British Amateur quarter-finalist Calum Scott (Nairn), younger brother of Walker Cup star Sandy.
The Royal Burgess junior was behind the whole match, eventually drawing level by winning the 18th and then the first extra hole to reach his first national final.