Scotland's two brightest stars qualify in The Amateur Championship

Two Scots - Connor Graham and Niall Shiels Donegan - progressed to the match-phase in the 131st Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool.

It was mission accomplished for the duo, by far the two stand-outs in Scottish amateur golf at the moment, after strong second-round displays in the stroke-play qualifying.

Graham followed an opening level-par 72 at West Lancashire on Monday with a bogey-free five-under-par 67 at Royal Liverpool to finish 16th in the battle for 64 match-play spots.

Connor Graham, pictured playing in last year's The Open at Royal Portrush, is through to the match-play phase in The Amateur Championship at Royal Liverpool | Tom Russo/The Scotsman

The Blairgowrie teenager topped the qualifying standings in both 2025 and 2024 only to then bow out early in the knock-out stage, losing to American Ethan Fang, the eventual winner at Royal St George’s in the opening round 12 months ago.

He won’t mind, therefore, to miss out on being the medallist on this occasion and more of the same around Royal Liverpool could see him still involved when it reaches the business end of the week.

California-based Shiels Donegan also ensured his place among the qualifiers after following the same opening score as his compatriot at West Lancashire with a four-birdie 69 at Royal Liverpool to end up 52nd.

Swede Wilhelm Ryding topped the qualifying on nine under, having opened with a 68 at Royal Liverpool then adding a 67 at West Lancashire.

Niall Shiels Donegan was a happy man after qualifying in last year’s US Amateur Championship and has now done likewise in The Amateur Championship | Getty Images

The 21-year-old’s aggregate left him a stroke clear of his compatriot, Edwin Askerfors, and the English trio of Ben Bolton, Edward Featherstone and Joshua McCartain.

The qualifying mark for the leading 64 players and ties fell at two-under-par, leaving 21 players, including the highest-ranked player Luke Poulter and last year's runner-up Gavin Tiernan, facing a sudden-death play-off starting at 7am on Wednesday for the final ten match-play berths.