By Steve Scott, golf correspondent

PETER LATIMER thinks it gets harder and harder every year to get back into links golf when he returns from college in the USA, but the 21-year-old from Markinch is doing just fine on one of the toughest links courses of them all in the Scottish Amateur Championship this week.

Latimer, the New Club member and student at Guildford College in North Carolina, meets one of the favourites, Paul O’Hara, in this morning’s fifth round at Royal Troon after a series of hard-fought wins.

It was a windy but otherwise glorious day for links golf that saw the exit of the top seed Gavin Dear, 2006 champion Kevin McAlpine and Ross Kellett, but more progress from Keir McNicoll and O’Hara.

Latimer has sneaked under the radar to the last eight, a result that hasn’t surprised him other than the timing.

“I knew my game is good enough, but if you’d asked me whether I thought I could get to the last 16 at the start of the week I’d have thought you were joking,” he said.

“I’ve won four college events in the US but other than losing a play-off in the East of Scotland championship I haven’t played that well in the summer events at home.

“I find it harder every year I come back to get back into playing links golf again and virtually all of the amateur events here are on links, but I seem to be doing okay on this one.”

It’s been links conditions for the purist all week at Troon, but Latimer seems to have remembered enough to get by.

“To be honest, I seem to be doing just enough in every game to get through,” he said after his 3 and 2 win over Stirling’s Chris Lawton.

“I’ve had only one easy game and all the rest have gone to the 18th until this afternoon.

“Today I had one 30-foot putt after I had to hit sideways out of a bunker, so I was a bit lucky, but other than that it’s been solid, and a string of pars is going to win a few holes out there.”

If Latimer’s expectations have been exceeded, twice-beaten finalist O’Hara’s are nowhere near satisfied.

“I don’t have the same feeling as the runs to the final in 2004 and 2006 as my expectation is to win and anything less is going to be a disappointment,” said the 21-year-old from Colville Park.

However, the chances of his dream final with clubmate Ross Kellett ended in the last 16 with his friend’s defeat to veteran Bryan Innes on the fourth extra hole.

McNicoll started to get into gear in his fifth-round match against last year’s semi-finalist Greg Paterson, another New Club member, which produced a comfortable 5 and 3 win for the Carnoustie man.

“It’s been getting better every round but this was the best yet,” he said, having defeated Adam Dunton 2 and 1 in the fourth round.

“The putting has come around in the last couple of days which is the most pleasing thing as I’ve been hitting the ball well all week.”

McNicoll isn’t even considering the Walker Cup this year, conceding that he hadn’t been consistent enough all year.

“It doesn’t enter my mind, and anyway it’ll be seven English guys and just Gavin (Dear) and Wallace (Booth). I would say that if I was selected I think myself and Gavin would be an unbeatable partnership, but I don’t think it’ll happen even if I win here.”

First-seed Dear’s dream of beating his best mate on the way to winning the title crashed in the fourth round as the big-hitting Grant Carnie ousted the Murrayshall man with a birdie on the first extra hole, and will now meet McNicoll, who thrashed Scott Gibson 8 and 6.

After making his surprise exit, Dear joined many suggesting that instead of the traditional seven rounds of straight matchplay, the championship should introduce strokeplay qualifying to produce 64 players for the knock-out stages, as has long been the format in the Amateur Championship.

“There’s three reasons, firstly to bring it into line with the Amateur, secondly because there are World Amateur Golf Ranking points now available for the strokeplay qualifying that the English and Irish are getting but we aren’t, and thirdly it would make for a stronger matchplay draw,” argued Dear.

Dear, currently 12th in the rankings, gets no points for this week, when his English rivals have for reaching the last 64 of their national championship, which has strokeplay qualifying.

He now needs a strong showing in remaining events to get in the top 10, which would allow him to bypass the first stages of the European Tour School.

If other nations’ players are stealing a march on the Scots in even a small way in the world rankings—which are becoming more and more relevant to entry into international class events during the season—it’s not surprising that Hamish Grey, the SGU chief executive, said yesterday that he would discuss a possible change with top players and other stakeholders in amateur golf.

Elsewhere, Lundin’s James White lost out in the last 32 to Steven Rennie, who had won every one of his games at the final hole before edging the Fifer on the 19th.

McAlpine’s run came to an end at the hands of Kilmarnock Barassie’s Euan Brown, while in morning play Monifieth youngster Mark Thomson lost out on the final hole to boys’ champion David Law.

FOURTH ROUND (*denotes seeded player): Upper Half—Grant Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan) bt *Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) at 19th; Scott Gibson (Southerness) bt Richard Graham (Hayston) 1 hole; Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) bt Michael Campbell (Renfrew) 3 and 2; *Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) bt Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 2 and 1; *Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) bt Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 7 and 5; Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) bt Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 3 and 2; Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) bt Stephen Machin (Cowglen) 1 hole; Chris Lawton (Stirling) bt Andrew McLachlan (Bonnyton) 2 and 1.

Lower Half—Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) bt Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 1 hole; James White (Lundin) bt Scott McClory (Bathgate) 5 and 4; Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) bt Michael Gray (Lanark) 4 and 2; *Ross Kellett (Colville Park) bt James Hendrick (Pollok) 5 and 4; Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Stewart Henderson (Hamilton) 1 hole; Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) bt Christopher Forman (Peterhead) 2 and 1; David Law (Hazlehead) bt Mark Thomson (Grange) 1 hole; Oliver Huish (North Berwick) bt Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood) 3 and 2.