Will Porter aims to be the first Carnoustie player to win the Scottish Boys Championship since 2001 when he goes up against professional’s son Ross Callan in today’s 36-hole final at Dunbar.
The 17-year-old from Arbroath, who attends Glenalmond College in Perthshire, continued his hot streak of form in perfect playing conditions on the East Lothian course as he defeated favourite Calum Fyfe in the quarter-finals and then Thomas Foster in the semis.
He now meets Callan, from the same Bathgate club as Scotland’s current No 1 professional Stephen Gallacher, and the son of Stuart Callan, the current PGA professional at the West Lothian club.
But if Will sticks to his outstanding form of the last two days he’s 15-under for his last four games he’s the clear favourite to be the first from the Angus links to win the premier boy’s title since Steven Brown took the crown in 2001 at Royal Aberdeen. Brown’s father Alan is the only other Scottish Boys’ champion from Carnoustie, winning in 1975 at North Berwick.
Will wasn’t quite as devastating yesterday as his seven-under performance to reach the quarter-finals, but he rode a hot putter to victory over the much-fancied Fyfe and then a stunning start to the semi against Foster put him in total command of the semi-final.
He was five-under for the first five holes against the 18-year-old from the Merchants of Edinburgh club, who had been in Dubai for practice during half-term from George Watson’s, although it didn’t do him much good against a rampant Porter.
The Carnoustie teenager didn’t even have to putt out his close birdie chances on the fourth and fifth as he went three-up for his fast start, eventually stretching that lead to five up as Foster faltered as they turned into a strengthening wind.
The Edinburgh player picked up two late birdies to elongate matters but Porter matched him with a three at the 15th to close the match out 4 and 3, the same result as he had beaten Fyfe earlier in the day.
“I really enjoyed playing with Calum, he’s a class player and there’s a lot you can learn from him,” he said. “In the end I managed to hole quite a few from outside him and I think that put pressure on him.
“In the afternoon I just got off to a very good start and was able to hold on from there.”
Will’s rapid improvement down to a plus one handicap has come in the last 12 months under the tutelage of Kevin Hale Bradley Neil’s coach – for the long game and the Carnoustie professional Fraser Mann for chipping.
“My aim was just to get some ranking points, which is the quarter-finals, so I’m delighted with this,” he said. “The fitness and conditioning work I get from the SGU Academy has also been a big factor.
“Two years ago I was off five and missed the cut in every event, last year I made the cut in all the junior strokeplay events but lost in the first round of this, so anything beyond that was going to be good.”
Callan is just 16 but a big specimen for that age, part of the rising junior section from his club inspired by Gallacher and pushed by his father. But despite the history of fine players including three Ryder Cuppers from Bathgate, Ross is their first Scottish Boys’ finalist.
“I’m off three at the moment but I feel I’m a bit better than that, I’ve matured a lot during the winter,” he said. “All I was hoping for prior to the championship was maybe third round, but I’ve had a good feeling about all my matches.”
He was too strong for Paul Lawrie’s son Michael in the quarter-finals with a 3 and 2 victory and again for Andrew Thomson of Lanark in the semis, finally closing out the game with a peach of a soft wedge shot to two feet at the 15th for his 4 and 3 victory.
Quarter-finals: W Porter (Carnoustie) bt C Fyfe (Cawder) 4 and 3; T Foster (Merchants of Edinburgh) bt R Higgins (Loretto School) at the 19th; A Thomson (Lanark) bt K Cantley (Liberton) at the 20th; R Callan (Bathgate) bt M Lawrie (Deeside) 3 and 2.
Semi-finals: Porter bt Foster 4 and 3; Callan bt Thomson 4 and 3.