Ardglass' Cormac Sharvin is making it almost impossible for the GB&I selectors to deny him a Walker Cup spot after his third top-three finish in a row.

The 2013 Irish Amateur Close champion and this year's British Universities champion, finished third behind another potential Walker Cup star in England's Marco Penge in the Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship at Moray's Old Course.

If the selectors are looking for an excuse not to pick him, they will no doubt point out that he failed to win again. But that would seem utterly churlish considering he was second in the Lytham Trophy at the Walker Cup venue and second in the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin the following week.

Sharvin was tied for the halfway lead in Scotland with Penge, Welshman Owen Edwards and Scot Ewen Ferguson on four under par.

He looked set to streak ahead when he birdied the first, second, sixth and ninth to go out in 31. But he came him in two over 38 for a third successive 69 as Penge shot 67 to move in front.

A closing 73 left Sharvin alone in third on four under as Penge also shot 73 to win by one from Scot Graeme Robertson (73) on six under.

Final scores