Glasgow golfer Jamie Savage put personal grief behind him and mounted a spirited salvage operation at Royal Portrush to book his spot in the knockout stages of the fog-delayed Amateur Championship.
The Cawder teenager, who claimed the biggest win of his blossoming career in last month's Irish Open Strokeplay Championship, fired a battling three-under 67 to make the qualifying grade on a four-over 145.
Savage's gran passed away recently and the young Scot attended her funeral last Friday before heading over the Irish Sea for the unpaid game's flagship event.
An opening 78 in the first round at Portstewart looked to have ended his hopes of progressing to the matchplay phase, but Savage showed his resolve to bounce back in style.
He said: "Given the circumstances with my gran, my head wasn't really in it during the first round. But I managed to get it out of my head today and played well."
Savage was one of nine Scots who progressed to the matchplay stage and he will be joined in the draw by former Scottish Amateur champ Grant Forrest, who won the St Andrews Links Trophy recently.
Glasgow teenager Ewen Ferguson, the reigning Scottish and British Boys' champion, missed out by a shot.
l Rory McIlroy has announced he will represent Ireland at the Rio Olympics in 2016 when golf makes its return to the Games for the first time since 1904.
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