Walker and Scott left to fly Saltire at Portmarnock

Walker Cup contenders Euan Walker and Sandy Scott are the only Scots still standing in the 124th Amateur Championship after they both dug deep to win last-64 matches at Portmarnock.

Walker, the African Amateur champion from Kilmarnock (Barassie), beat Waterford’s Eanna Griffin by two holes, while Nairn man Scott won the last to edgepastnorway’smarkus Braadlie.

Italian Riccardo Leo, who beat Scottish champion Euan Mcintosh 4&3, is next up for Walker while Scott takes on Englishman Daniel O’loughlin in the first of two rounds on Thursday.

Australian-basedconnor Mckinney, the fourth Scot to qualify for the knockout stage, joined Mcintosh in making an early exit as he lost at the 19th in another close encounter to Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.

In the paid ranks, twotime European Tour winner Alastair Forsyth is threatening to run away with the PGA Professional Championship after backing up his opening 65 with a sensational 63 at Hunstanton in Norfolk.

Forsyth, who is attached to Mearns Castle Golf Academy, was out in twounder in his second round before storming home in 28 for a 16-under-par total.

The recently-crowned Northern Open champion leads by seven shots from compatriot and 2017 winner Paul O’hara (North Lanarkshire Leisure), as well as England’s James Freeman.

Donwfield’s Christopher Mcmaster sits fourth on eight-under, a shot ahead of both Greig Hutcheon (Toprhins) and Graham Fox(clydewaygolf),while Craig Lee is on six-under after a 65 that saw him come home in 29.

● Scottish duo Sam Locke and Lawrence Allan shot matching nine-under-par 63s to share the lead with Luke Joy after the first round of the PGA Europro Tour’s Diamond X Open at Cumberwell Park.

● Downfield’s Graham Bell, the 2017 winner, leads the Scottish Seniors Open by two shots after firing a three-under-par 67 in the opening circuit at Luffness New.