CRAIG AND KATE WIN JUNIOR TITLES ON BETTER INWARD HALVES
By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
When you bring together the cream of Under-18 golfing talent in Scotland and test them over the sprint distance of 18 holes, you would expect it to be a close-run race with a tight finish. And that was certainly the cse.
Both the boys’ and the girls’ titles in today’s Scottish Junior Champion of Champions Tournament at the very wet Duke's Course, St Andrews were decided on tie-breaking inward halves.
Lanarkshire’s Craig Ross, an 18-year-old from the Kirkhill club, Cambuslang, and Ewan Scott (St Andrews) dead-heated at the top of the 42 boys’ returns with two-under-par 69s – excellent scoring in conditions that were so soggy, the start of play had to be delayed an hour to allow the excess water on the course to be mopped up or drain away.
Ross, who finished 17th last year in this curtain-raiser to the 2011 domestic season, won the day this time round because he covered holes 10 to 18 - actually the first nine he played - in three-under-par 32, thanks to birdies at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th, which was a terrific start.
That was three shots better than the inward half of Scott (seventh last year) who had only one birdie, at the 11th, after the turn, having gone out in two-under 34, with birdies a tthe first, sixth, seventh and ninth. three shots better than Ross. Scott recently won the Scottish Golf Academy Winter Series boys' order of merit and was the first Scot to win the English Under-14 open boys title in 2009.
Ross's handicap comes down to scratch as a result of his excellent round today. Coached at the Scottish Golf Academy and a full-time amateur since he left school, he qualified for a place in The Duke's field through being the top boy in last season's Nick Faldo Junior Series' Scottish qualifier at The Roxburghe.
Stirling student Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), the 2009 Scottish boys’ stroke-play champion, finished third on 71 after running up a double bogey at the short third but coming splashing home in 33.
Defending champion and Lothians boys title-winner in 2009 and 2010, Simon Fairburn (Torwoodlee), recently recovered from a broken collarbone while playing rugby, finished joint seventh with a 75 (38-37). He birdied the third, sixth and 17th but had seven bogeys in halves of 38 and 37.
On the same mark was Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), Under-14 boys' champion on both sides of the Border last year. He was expected to be one of the front runners and, out in 35, he was just that until he bogeyed the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 17th in taking 40 home.
Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), who will be defending the Scottish boys’ title at Dunbar at the start of April, shared 14th place on 76 (39-37).
It was a Lothians pair who figured in the girls’ title tie-breaker. Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe), 17, beaten in the final of last year’s Scottish Under-18 girls championship at Eyemouth, and Rachel Watton (Mortonhall), a member of the title-winning Scotland team in the women’s home internationals at Cardiff, both returned three-over-par 74s.
Kate’s inward half of 37, after she had run up a triple bogey 7 at the seventh, earned her the trophy by the narrowest of margins because Rachel took just one more shot, 38, for the last nine. It all boiled down to the last hole which McIntosh parred and Watton bogeyed.
McIntosh, coached by former Northern Open winner Colin Brooks and maintaining the form that won her the final girls' event in the Scottish Golf Academy Winter Series at Troon Darley last weekend, had birdies at the first, third, 12th and 14th; Watton birdies at the sixth, seventh and 15th.
Rachel's bogeys at the 10th, 11th, 14th and, of course, the 18th, cost her dearly in what was her last appearance in junior golf.
Rachael Walker (Dumfries and Co) was third with a 75 (37-38). But for a bogey at the short 16th she would have made it a three-way countback.
Scottish girls champion Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) – conqueror of Kate McIntosh in the final last summer – finished joint sixth with a 77 (38-39), which included one birdie, at the ninth, and a double bogey at the 13th while defending champion Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) came joint 10th in the field of 17 girls with a birdie-less round of 79 (41-38).
Aboyne's Kimberley Beveridge had the proverbial "game of two halves." The outward half cost her 44 shots, including a triple bogey 7 at the ninth. But, if you can come whistling home in wet, almost muddy conditions, then Kimberley did just that with the best inward half by any girl - 35 for a creditable 79. She had three birdies in the round, the seventh, 13th and 15th.
Two of the girls expected to be leading contenders, girl internationals Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm) and Hannah McCook (Grantown-on-Spey), withdrew.
Hannah lives within the Cairngorm National Park at Nethy Bridge - the part of Scotland worst affected by the recurrence of snow - and the McCook family took police advice that it would be too hazardous a journey to make across country to Fife.
LATER NEWS: Kate McIntosh is on a roll - she passed her driving test on Monday morning, 24 hours after her Junior Champion of Champions' success.
WHAT THE TITLE-WINNERS HAD TO SAY
FROM THE SGU WEBSITE
CRAIG ROSS:
“This is my biggest win so far and a great start to the season for me. My aim is to play full-time golf this year and knowing I can win events such as this gives me great confidence,” said Ross who has set his sights on an international call up this year.
“My main aim this season is to get into the Scotland squad, I also want to get to a plus handicap and by doing that I will hopefully do my chances of a call up no harm.”
KATE McINTOSH:
“The weather made it really difficult today and when i bogeyed the first two holes i didn’t think it was going to be my day, but other than one bad hole at the seventh i played really well after that and I was delighted when I found out I had won.
“I would love to make the Girls' Home Internationals team (at Gullane) this year so hopefully I can continue my form from today and give myself a good chance of doing so.”
DAVID SCOTT, Director of Golf at The Duke's Course, girls' winner KATE McINTOSH (Broomieknowe) and FIONA COWAN, the SLGA's director of championships. Image by courtesy of the SGU
FINAL TOTALS
BOYS (Par 71)
69 Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 37-32, Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 35-34 (Ross won with better inward half).
71 Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 38-33.
73 Josh Jamieson (St Andrews New) 37-36, James Steven (Bothwell Castle) 36-37.
74 John Salmond (Alloa) 36-38.
75 Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 39-36, Simon Fairburn (Torwoodlee) 38-37, Lawrence Allan (Alva) 38-37, Ewan Ferguson (Bearsden) 38-37, Jamie Savage (Cawder) 37-38, Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) 35-40, Connor Neil (Blairgowrie) 34-41.
76 Sam Craigon (Milnathort) 39-37, Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 39-37, Daniel McConnachie (Dumfries and Co) 38-38.
78 Craig Telfer (Prestwick St Cuthbert) 42-36, Liam Johnston (Dumfries and Co) 38-40, Cameron Mitchell (Lundin) 37-41.
79 Craig Smith (Dalbeattie) 42-37, Logie Gaughan (Bathgate) 40-39, Alex Ferguson (Paisley) 40-39, Craig Anderson (Sandyhills) 39-40.
80 Cameron Farrell (Cardross) 42-38, David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) 40-40, Lee Morgan (Newbattle) 40-40.
81 Ewen Donaldson (Craigielaw) 43-38, Alasdair McDougall (Paisley) 41-40.
82 Daniel Thompsett (Aboyne) 45-39, Greig Marchbank (Thornhill) 45-39, Gary Foley (Ralston) 41-41, Andrew Carrell (Peterculter) 41-41.
83 Joshua Bogle (Ranfurly Castle) 43-40, Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten) 42-41, Grant Bowman (Monifieth) 41-42, Craig Howie (Peebles) 40-43.
84 Callum Thomson (Kelso) 42-42.
85 Calum Stewart (Brora) 43-42, Ben Kinsley (St Andrews) 43-42.
89 Glen Fotheringham (Grangemouth) 43-46, Martin Buchan (Balbirnie Park) 43-46.
No Return: Martin Scott (Hamilton).
No Show: Jamie Lynch (Falkirk Tryst).
GIRLS (Par 71)
74 Kate McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 37-37, Rachel Watton (Mortonhall) 36-38 (McIntosh won with better inward half).
75 Rachel Walker (Dumfries and Co) 37-38.
76 Lauren Whyte (St Regulus) 37-39, Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 37-39.
77 Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) 38-39, Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) 37-40.
78 Rachel Hanlon (St Regulus) 39-39, Rachael Taylor (Germany) 38-40.
79 Kimberley Beveridge (Aboyne) 44-35, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 41-38, Nicola Robertson (Dunblane) 38-41.
80 Keren Ward (The Glen) 38-42.
86 Gabrielle MacDonald (Craigielaw) 43-43, Emma Caddow (Strathaven) 43-43.
87 Jorden Ferrie (Kirkintilloch) 43-44.
89 Alexis Hutton (Falkirk Tryst) 44-45.
Withdrew: Eilidh Briggs (Kilmacolm), Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey).
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 5:49:00 pm
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