Paul Lawrie follows his sons through every shot they play in the Scottish Boys Championship but one Lawrie junior will follow in his father’s footsteps from next year.
The sons of the Ryder Cup hero and former Open champion, Craig (17) and Michael (15), both won in the bitter chill at Monifieth Links, watched by both their parents and the elder is now set to follow almost the exact same path as his dad to the professional game.
Dropping plans to attend college to take a golf diploma which would have set him up for training to be a PGA professional, Craig will instead stay at home in Aberdeen and do his three years of pro training at the new Paul Lawrie Golf Centre his father has established on the south bank of the Dee.
The former Aspire centre, which has its own par-three course as well as the usual driving and practice facilities, has been converted and modernised by Lawrie and a new, state-of-the-art short game centre will be completed once we get a break from the recent appalling weather.
“It’s pretty much what dad did at my age when he went to Banchory as an assistant and turned pro,” said Craig, who came through his first round tie, beating Sean McBride of Cathkin Braes 4 and 3.
“I was going to take the course but I work part-time at the centre now and I’d just be wasting four years at college when I could do my training there, at such a good facility.
“I’ll play full-time on the amateur circuit this year in all the top events I can and depending how that goes, I’ll start my training at the end of the year.”
Off a plus 0.2 handicap, Craig is already more advanced than his father was at the same age although he managed to overcome one thing handed down to him which kept him ahead in the early holes.
Big putts at four of the first five holes meant he came out of them one-up against McBride, and par golf was enough to beat the four-handicapper from Glasgow.
“I was fighting a bit of a hook early on but holed out well, which is not normal,” he said.
“Usually I’m like the old man on the greens. The first six holes here into the teeth of the wind are the real key, get through them ahead in the game and you can then try to make some birdies.”
Both Craig and Michael lost in the first round last year but Michael, a five-handicapper, made sure that was reversed by beating Peter Maxwell from Glenbervie 2 and 1, winning the 16th and 17th having had a three-up lead after 10 but surrendering it.
The top of the second quarter is one of those log-jams of decent players, which often occurs in the Boys’ draw, with seed George Burns having to negotiate two players who reached the last four in the last year.
Williamwood’s Burns now faces Alexander Wilson, who plays out of the exclusive Renaissance club in East Lothian but also has a membership at Valderrama and is actually club champion at the prestigious Andalucian course which hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup.
St Andrews’ Ben Kinsley got to the last four at Dunbar in 2011 before winning the Scotland Under-16 Championship that same year and after his 3 and 2 win over Pitlochry’s Grant Stewart could face the winner of the Burns-Wilson tie tomorrow.
Also in this section is last year’s semi-finalist Connar Cook, who lives in Forfar but is still playing out of his original club Caird Park, and he had a tough first round tie against Glencruitten’s Alistair MacVicar before prevailing 2 and 1.
Cook now could face fellow Angus County player Ross Dallas, son of Kirriemuir professional Karyn, probably Scotland’s pre-eminent female golf coach.
Ross is the reigning Angus Matchplay champion and takes on Lewis Reid of Tantallon in the second round first thing Wednesday morning after beating Royal Aberdeen’s Finlay McPherson 5 and 4.
Cook needs to negotiate Louis Murray of Troon Wellbeck in the second round in the final match due out today, at 4.15 pm.
Later in the draw, another St Andrian, New Club member Alasdair McDougall came through comfortably. All four seeds in action on Monday progressed with only one, Tantallon’s Calum Hill, forced into extra holes.
Championship favourite and top seed Euan Scott (St Andrews), who was given a first round bye, starts his campaign with Calum Morrison (Inverurie) on Tuesday afternoon.