Amateur Henry rises to the Challenge with a 67

SCOTT Henry struck another blow for Scotland's young amateurs on the professional stage yesterday as he moved into a share of seventh place after the third round of the £175,000 Scottish Challenge at Macdonald Cardrona near Peebles.

In an event which had another member of the unpaid ranks, James Byrne of Banchory, setting the pace on day one, Cardross youngster Henry thrust himself into the spotlight with a best-of-the-day five-under 67 for a four-under 209 to sit five shots behind front-runner Jeppe Huldahl of Denmark.

Henry, the double Scottish Boys' champion and the 2006 national stroke-play champion, was one of six amateurs sent to compete in the contest by the SGU and the 21-year-old believes the experience of competing alongside seasoned European professionals will be good for his own career prospects.

"It's a great chance for us amateurs and I'd like to get more of these opportunities," said Henry, who countered his only dropped shot at the 12th with a haul of five birdies. "The aim is to turn pro eventually, so this is the level I'll need to be performing at. But this has proved to me that I can compete and I certainly don't feel out of my depth."

Colville Park's Ross Kellett, another promising young amateur, illuminated his three-under 68 with a 25-foot birdie putt at the fourth as he clambered up into a tie for 13th with a three-under 210.

However, former Scottish PGA champion Greig Hutcheon, a shot off the lead at half-way, saw his title bid suffer a blow as he stumbled to a two-over 73.

The Peterculter pro, with a second and a fifth on the Challenge Tour this season, slipped back into a share of seventh.

Chris Doak slithered out of the running with a turbulent 77 which included a triple-bogey seven at the sixth. Doak, two off the pace heading into day three, toppled down to 47th. At the head of the field, Huldahl jumped to the front with a 68 for a nine-under 204 and a one-stroke advantage over Dutchman Tako Remkes going into today's closing round.

OPEN ABSENTEES

TIGER Woods will not be the only noticeable absentee from the Open Championship at Birkdale this year.

But while the world No.1 will surely be back next year at Turnberry after knee surgery, the absence of four of Europe's 'Big Five' marks the end of an era.

Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam won 16 major championships between them in the 1980s and '90s and turned the Ryder Cup from a one-sided affair into an ultra-competitive biennial showdown between Europe and the United States.

Yet of that quintet, only Lyle – exempt as a former champion – is likely to be at Birkdale from July 17-20 with Ballesteros retired, Woosnam and Langer not set to qualify and Faldo absent to concentrate on his role as Ryder Cup captain.