Scotsman Grant Forrest will play Frenchmen Romain Langasque in the final of the 120th Amateur Championship over 36 holes of matchplay at Carnoustie
Scotsman Grant Forrest will play Frenchmen Romain Langasque in the final of the 120th Amateur Championship over 36 holes of matchplay at Carnoustie.
This Frenchman-versus-Scotsman clash replicates both of the semi-final contests.
On his 22nd birthday, Forrest defeated Frenchman Alexandre Daydou by 4&2 in his semi-final. In the other semi-final Langasque overcame Jack McDonald at the 19th hole.
Forrest was never behind in his semi-final having won the first hole with a 15ft birdie putt.
He went 2 up on the 3rd with another successful birdie putt and from then on it was a steady march to victory.
Even a potential hiccup on the 6th, when he was penalised for stepping on his ball, did not derail him. Indeed, he managed to halve this hole, with an up and down from a bunker.
Forrest’s path through his quarter-final had been far tighter. Forrest had been in front for much of the contest, but fellow Scot Greig Marchbank eagled the 14th to win that hole, and then won the next two.
So with two holes to go Forrest was now two down.
But Forrest won the final two holes of regulation play and, after a halved 19th in par, won on the 20th with a birdie.
In the other semi-final McDonald was left to rue a missed 10ft putt on 18 which would have sealed him the victory. Instead the match went to a play-off when his 20-year-old French opponent holed his 7ft putt.
There had never been more than a hole in this match throughout. McDonald had been favourite to win when he won the 17th to go 1 up after Langasque had played into the burn.
Langasque then won the match with a par on the 19th, having found the green in regulation.
McDonald had reached the semi-final by way of a 6&5 win over the only Englishman in the last eight, Sean Towndrow.
In his quarter-final Langasque had defeated fellow countryman Robin Sciot-Siegrist by two holes
I’m so happy to reach the Final,” Langasque said. “I am going to have a lot of support from the federation and the people here for me so I just want to be on the first tee and play well. I’m going to have fun and see if I win or lose but enjoy it.”
Forrest, who recently completed his studies at the University of San Diego, expressed surprise at making it through to the final of the 120th Amateur Championship.
Forrest, who played in The Open Championship , said: “If you had told me back in the States that I would I be in the final I would have said ‘no way’. I have been struggling with my game in the last couple of months but I have been working hard and have managed to find my game again this week which has been great.”
