Saturday 1 August 2015 22:22, UK
The Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play lost its host in the second round as the former Open champion delivered a "horrendous" performance against Chris Doak.
Lawrie's fellow Scot had three bogeys and two double-bogeys on his card, but the tournament host was unable to take advantage as he crashed to a one-hole defeat at Murcar Links near Aberdeen.
"I hit it horrendous today and you can't get off with hitting the ball as poorly as that," Lawrie said. "I'm disappointed, gutted, but when you play like that at this level you seldom get away with it
"I can't hit the ball any worse than that to be fair but all the best to Chris. The two of us didn't play very well. We were all over the place at times and he made the four he needed to make at the last. That's match play."
Lawrie will continue his duties as tournament host this weekend, adding: "I'll be here every day. I'll be in the sponsor's pavilion looking after them because it's not just about me playing this week. My name is on the title so it's very important that everyone comes and enjoys it and has a good day, and I'll be in there doing my bit."
A poor-quality contest ended in somewhat farcical scenes on the 18th, with the players left around 150 yards apart after Doak sliced his drive almost into the tented village and Lawrie hooked his to the front edge of the second green.
Doak feared he was out of bounds and hit a provisional ball, admitting he was "very lucky" that his ball had actually ended up in a bunker on the adjacent course which was deemed ground under repair, allowing him to take a free drop and scramble a par.
"It's fantastic to beat anybody, but Paul being such a good player and being the host makes it a little bit extra special I guess," Doak said. "What he's done is fantastic for the tournament. You'd like to see him here for the weekend but I guess that's not to be.
"I've not really played my best and Paul certainly never played his best today. But I'm getting there and building confidence, which is the main thing."
Howell in a hurry
Doak will take on David Howell in the last 16 after the Englishman cruised to a comprehensive 6&4 victory over David Drysdale.
"I had a putt to go seven under on the 12th to close the match out so that was going to be pretty tough for anyone to match," Howell said. "I didn't manage to hole that and of course I go and lose the next, but am delighted to get through and rest the legs for tomorrow.
Howell's compatriot Chris Wood was the first man into the third round when he completed his second 5&4 win of the week, the 27-year-old needing just two and a half hours to beat Spain's Jorge Campillo.
But top seed James Morrison bowed out after losing 2&1 to Sweden's Johan Carlsson, who faces compatriot Robert Karlsson next after the former European number one eased past Alejandro Canizares.
Local favourite Richie Ramsay was an approximate five under par in beating the man he succeeded as US Amateur champion, Italian Edoardo Molinari, while 2010 US Amateur champion Peter Uihlein eventually defeated 2013 winner Matt Fitzpatrick on the 19th.
In-form Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, playing in his sixth straight tournament, also impressed in his 4&2 thumping of Mikael Lundberg, while the best tie of the third round could be between Marc Warren and former Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts, who defeated Fabrizio Zanotti and Trevor Fisher Jnr respectively on Friday.
