Scotsman Paul Harkness will fly the Bermuda flag when he takes on American Bill Jenks in the 36-hole final of the Amateur Match Play Championships at Mid Ocean Club today.

The 35-year-old Bank of Bermuda employee stormed through to the final with a crushing six and five victory yesterday afternoon -- inflicting the second successive semi-final defeat on American Stan Lee who went out at the same stage last year to eventual winner Robert Vallis.

This year's conqueror of Vallis, Boston resident Jenks earned his spot in the final when he eliminated another Mid Ocean Club member, Blake Marshall, in the semi-finals. And like his victory over Vallis, it was another close contest, the American hanging on for a one-up triumph.

Earlier yesterday, Belmont member Harkness, who burst onto the local golf scene last July when he carded a Summer League record score of six-under-par 64 at Riddell's Bay, got past his close friend Gary Carr in the quarter-finals, edging home one-up.

In the other quarter-finals, Lee defeated Jack Scrymgeour three and two, Marshall ended the challenge of first-time entrant Gene Elliott, the Iowa State champion, three and two and Jenks put out St. George's club manager Max Atherden, also three and two.

But it was the sizzling semi-final play of Harkness, who partnered Gary Carr to the national Four-Ball Championships at Port Royal last November, that caught the eye.

Three-under-par at the turn, the former Edinburgh resident had all but won the match by that stage as he led five-up. At the 13th it was all over.

"Stan's a really solid player,'' acknowledged Harkness afterwards. "But I've got to say he caught me on a hot streak. I played some pretty good golf today.

"My plan was to put him under pressure from the word go because he's pretty experienced and I knew if I got down, he would just basically not make any mistakes and I would be struggling.

"I tried to come out of the blocks quickly and get on top of him and that's what happened.'' As for his morning match against Carr, Harkness said: "It was basically a tale of mistakes. And fortunately I made one fewer than Gary.'' Of today's 36-hole final, the one handicapper said he knew little about his opponent but would be expecting a tough match.

"I'll just try and go out there and make as few mistakes as possible and try to play par golf.

"This is a great moment for me. It's Bermuda's national championship, so I'm looking forward to it very much.

"I've always been pretty competitive at match play. I absolutely love this type of game. But I'm expecting a very tough match.'' In today's 36-hole women's final, Laura Robinson, Bermuda's 17-year-old defending champion, takes on American scratch handicapper Janell Howland, after both advanced in their semi-finals on Thursday.

Robinson and Howland tee off at 7.54 a.m followed by Jenks and Harkness at 8.02, with the final 18 holes scheduled to begin at 1.00 and 1.08 p.m.

respectively.

In yesterday's ladies' championship consolation flight final, local youngster Stephanie Lewis defeated Sue Holland two-up.

Sand storm: Scotsman Paul Harkness blasts out of a bunker on the way to a convincing six and five semi-final win over American Stan Lee.

Bill Jenks: Squeezed by Bermudian Blake Marshall one-up.