SCOTTISH U-16 BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

 SAM SAUNTERS TO VICTORY AT DEESIDE

 

 Perth teenager Sam McLaren blew away the forecasts of a “photo-finish” to Douglas Gillespie Scottish Under-16 boys’ open stroke-play championship at sunny Deeside Golf Club today.

With only three shots covering the leading eight players going into the final round of the 54-hole event, it had the makings of an exciting finale. It never happened, simply  because 16-year-old Sam from the King James VI Club started with five straight pars and then a birdie at the long sixth.

That was good enough to put a five-stroke gap between him and the pack.

Co-leader Daniel Fitzpatrick (Greenock) bogeyed the first four holes in both halves to end his challenge.

Mikhal Ishaq, the 14-year-old from the Bondhay club, Leeds, only a shot off the pace at the start of the field round, struggled to the turn in seven-over-par 43 to drop out of the hunt.

Scott Fraser (Northern), Aberdeen’s big hope of a home win, double-bogeyed the fourth and was five over par for the first five holes.

Nairn Dunbar’s Elder double-bogeyed the second and was four over par after four holes.

And so it was that Sam McLaren had little more than a stroll in the park. He was able to shrug off three-putt bogeys at the seventh and 16^th, plus a closing bogey to return a two-over-par 72 for a final total of seven-over-par 217.

That won him the title in the end by a comfortable two shots the fast-finishing Oliver Hall (Hollins Hall) from Leeds. Oliver came back from a double bogey 6 at the second to birdie the third, fourth and sixth and later birdied the 15^th and 17^th for a 70 and 219 to win the silver medal.

But for shots dropped at the 13^th and 14^th, the English youngster might well have matched Sam McLaren’s winning total.

Of course, Sam always gave the impression that he would got the birdies if he had needed them.

Coached by Spencer Henderson of the Scottish Golf Union and his home club pro, Andrew Crerar, McLaren plays off two of a handicap. He is a member of the Scotland Under-16 squad and is a certainty now to play in the annual international against England at this level later in the season.

“I was a little bit nervous to start with but five pars and a birdie settled me down and when I saw the scoreboard at the ninth, I knew I had a lead of several shots,” said Sam whose father introduced him to the game when he was a six-year-old.

Two bronze medals were awarded to Sam Binning (Old Ranfurly) and Gavin Stirling (Caldwell) who tied for third place on 220.

Sam, who was the leading Scot in last week’s McGregor Trophy English under-16 boys’ open championship, was the only boy to break par in the final round at Deeside. He squeezed into the 42 qualifiers but a two-under-par 68 (35-33, which included an eagle 3 at the third and birdies at the 16^th and 37^th, made him the leader in the clubhouse for the best part of three hours.

Gavin Stirling was on course to finish second after birdies at the 10^th and 11th but after six straight pars he ran up a double-bogey 6 at the last hole for a 71 and 220. A par-4 would have won him the silver medal.