Amateur champion qualifies for Northern Open

New Scottish amateur champion Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) will take on leading Tartan Tour pros after qualifying for the Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open.

Culverwell carded a two-under-par 70 at Craigielaw Golf Club in a qualifying round for the 72-hole event to be held at Meldrum House Golf Club from August 27 to 29.

Although Culverwell, who won the national amateur title at Blairgowrie, will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of David Law and Sandy Pirie as an amateur winner of one of the oldest tournaments on the Tartan Tour schedule, realistically he is a contender for the Bookless Cup awarded to the leading amateur who completes four rounds of the Northern Open.

Inverness-based Jack Bookless was one of the founders of the Northern Open tournament in the early 1930s.

Leading qualifiers at Craigielaw were Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle) and David Broadfoot (Dumfries and County) on the six-under 66 mark. They finished two shots ahead of Andrew Crerar (Panmure).

Five players qualified on the 69 mark - Colin Robinson (Portpatrick Dunskey), Jamie Savage (Cawder) amateur, Keir McNicoll (Gullane), Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links) and Malcolm Isaacs (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre).

Alongside Culverwell on 70 were Daniel Wood (Hirself), Cameron Tortollano (Stirling) and Newmachar amateur John Duff.

In all 56 players qualified.