Scottish-born golfer reaches South African Amateur final - but not flying Saltire

The 16-year-old, who lives in East Lothian and is a member of both Gullane and Craigielaw, is through to the 36-hole final at Humewood Golf Club, where he will take on South African Charl Barnard.

It’s been an outstanding effort so far from Mukherjee, who is the younger brother of 2022 Scottish Amateur champion Oli and his twin, current Sunshine State Amateur champion Sam.

However, he is competing this week in the unusual position of playing under a Union Jack due to the fact he has been representing England rather than the country of his birth.

Chasing the biggest win of his career and, at the same time, bidding to succeed Blairgowrie’s Gregor Graham as the champion, Mukherjee came from three down at the turn to come out on top in his Round of 64 tie on Tuesday.

He then survived losing four holes in a row on the back nine to come through the Round of 16 on Wednesday afternoon before producing two polished performances on Thursday as the Golf RSA flagship event reached the business end.

Mukherjee, who won the Scottish Boys’ Under-14s Open in 2021, beat rising South African star Arron Louw 5 and 4 in the quarter-finals then added an equally-impressive 4 and 3 victory over another home player, Christiaan Heyman, in the afternoon.

Elsewhere, Lorna McClymont maintained a promising start to her professional career by ending the opening day of the Sunshine Ladies Tour’s Standard Bank Ladies Open sitting inside the top five.

Carding four birdies, the Scot signed for a three-under 69 at Durbanville Golf Club, where French player Lucie Malchirand burst out of the blocks with a 64 but McClymont is lying fifth in the 106-player field.

Meanwhile, Grant Forrest recovered from being two over early on to card a three-under 68 in the first round of the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, where Englishman John Parry and Frenchman Benjamin Hebert set the pace with matching 63s.