Amateur Sam Locke is targeting a strong finish at the Open Championship despite having already secured the Silver Medal at Carnoustie.
The 19 year old, who works in the coffee shop at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and has taken advice from the 1999 winner about how to tame Carnoustie, shot six birdies in a one under par 70.
As the only amateur to make the cut, Locke is assured of the Silver Medal – Rory McIlroy won it the last time the Open was held at Carnoustie in 2007 – but the Scot is keen to improve his two over par total on Sunday.
“I thought I played a bit better today off the tee, more in control of the ball,” he said. “Just made a few more silly errors, but we'll learn from it, and we won't do it again.
I want to try and get as far up that leaderboard as I can - Sam Locke
“I want to try and get as far up that leaderboard as I can, and I don't want to just, ‘oh, that's it, I've got it now’. You're trying to finish the best you can, obviously.”
Asked about succeeding McIlroy as a Carnoustie Silver Medal winner, Locke added: “It's obviously a good feeling to know that I'm in the company - he's obviously a phenomenal player and one of my idols.”
As one of the early starters on day two, Locke faced a long wait to see if he made the cut after reaching the halfway stage on three over.
“It was a long day,” he said. “As I finished, I thought I might miss by one, but I was just watching all day.
“It was nice to know that not only would I be playing, but to guarantee the Silver Medal too, that was nice.”
