British universities championships at The Duke's
Sharvin and MacLean share lead with 74s
REPORT FROM Dr ROB MacPHERSON
St Andrews and The Duke's course can rarely have looked better in April as the cream of the UK's students battled it out on the first day of the British University Championships on the fabulous Fife course.
Playing the 7,500 yards (SSS 77) Black Course - the course record for which is one over par 72 - the men's competition proved extremely close in the sunshine.
Defending champion Cormac Sharvin (Stirling/Ardglass), pictured right, sparkled with an impressive 74.
However, he was matched by teammate and friend Chris MacLean (Stirling/ Balmore) whose balanced halves of 37 gave him the same score.
Close behind are Craig Chalmers (Strathclyde/Cawder) and one of the pre-event favourites, Swiss international Marco Iten (Stirling).
Surprise of the day was from the other Swiss pre-event favourite, in that the 77 from 2013 and 2015 Scottish student champion Mathias Eggenberger (Stirling) left him further off the pace than he is commonly used to.
In the men's team event, Stirling lead the field, from Stirling II and Birmingham.
In the women's event, lacking defending champion Amy Storey (Northumbria), it was fun in the sun for a number of 2014/15 BUCS Student Tour event winners.
Katie Bradbury (Exeter/Cotrell Park), current Welsh amateur champion, and winner of the most recent tour event at Southport and Ainsdale tussled for the lead with Gemma Batty (Stirling/Powfoot), who won the recent Scottish student championship at Lossiemouth only two weeks ago.
Their 75s (on The Duke's Green course) were three shots ahead of team-mates Alex Saunders (Exeter/Bristol and Clifton) and Hannah McCook (Stirling/Grantwon-on-Spey) meaning that the women's team championship currently is tied between the two of the most prominent female golfing universities in the UK.
The competition has 36 holes tomorrow (Wednesday) with a final 18 holes to decide the champions on Thursday.
MEN'S LEADERBOARD
Duke's Course. Par 71. SSS 77 Yardage: 7,550
74 Cormac Sharvin (Stirling, Chris MacLean (Stirling).
75 Craig Chalmers (Strathclyde), Marco Iten (Stirling)
76 Andrew Wilson (Northumbria), Rhys Thompson (Central Lancs), Cian Hurley (Birmingham), Michael Bekken (St Andrews), Will Cooper (Exeter), Matthew Hill (Loughborough),
77 Nathan Gilpin (Birmingham), Andrew Davidson (Stirling), Henry Tomlinson (Stirling), Matthew Bacon (Birmingham), Alastair McQuillan (Ulster), Mathias Eggenberger (Stirling).
78 Alex Baker (Loughborough), Michael Howard (Edinburgh), Neil McKinstry (Ulster).
79 James Rooney (Edge Hill), Tom Beasley (St Andrews), James A Wilson (Stirling), Craig Hughes (Strathclyde), Chris Fleming (Exeter), Kieron O'Connor (Loughborough).
WOMEN'S LEADERBOARD
75 Katie Bradbury (Exeter), Gemma Batty (Stirling).
78 Alex Saunders (Exeter), Hannah McCook (Stirling)
79 Nia Greville (Stirling)
81 Emma Newlove (Birmingham)
82 Rosa Rantanen (Loughborough)
84 Miranda Brain (St Andrews)
REPORT FROM Dr ROB MacPHERSON
St Andrews and The Duke's course can rarely have looked better in April as the cream of the UK's students battled it out on the first day of the British University Championships on the fabulous Fife course.
Playing the 7,500 yards (SSS 77) Black Course - the course record for which is one over par 72 - the men's competition proved extremely close in the sunshine.
Defending champion Cormac Sharvin (Stirling/Ardglass), pictured right, sparkled with an impressive 74.
However, he was matched by teammate and friend Chris MacLean (Stirling/ Balmore) whose balanced halves of 37 gave him the same score.
Close behind are Craig Chalmers (Strathclyde/Cawder) and one of the pre-event favourites, Swiss international Marco Iten (Stirling).
Surprise of the day was from the other Swiss pre-event favourite, in that the 77 from 2013 and 2015 Scottish student champion Mathias Eggenberger (Stirling) left him further off the pace than he is commonly used to.
In the men's team event, Stirling lead the field, from Stirling II and Birmingham.
In the women's event, lacking defending champion Amy Storey (Northumbria), it was fun in the sun for a number of 2014/15 BUCS Student Tour event winners.
Katie Bradbury (Exeter/Cotrell Park), current Welsh amateur champion, and winner of the most recent tour event at Southport and Ainsdale tussled for the lead with Gemma Batty (Stirling/Powfoot), who won the recent Scottish student championship at Lossiemouth only two weeks ago.
Their 75s (on The Duke's Green course) were three shots ahead of team-mates Alex Saunders (Exeter/Bristol and Clifton) and Hannah McCook (Stirling/Grantwon-on-Spey) meaning that the women's team championship currently is tied between the two of the most prominent female golfing universities in the UK.
The competition has 36 holes tomorrow (Wednesday) with a final 18 holes to decide the champions on Thursday.
MEN'S LEADERBOARD
Duke's Course. Par 71. SSS 77 Yardage: 7,550
74 Cormac Sharvin (Stirling, Chris MacLean (Stirling).
75 Craig Chalmers (Strathclyde), Marco Iten (Stirling)
76 Andrew Wilson (Northumbria), Rhys Thompson (Central Lancs), Cian Hurley (Birmingham), Michael Bekken (St Andrews), Will Cooper (Exeter), Matthew Hill (Loughborough),
77 Nathan Gilpin (Birmingham), Andrew Davidson (Stirling), Henry Tomlinson (Stirling), Matthew Bacon (Birmingham), Alastair McQuillan (Ulster), Mathias Eggenberger (Stirling).
78 Alex Baker (Loughborough), Michael Howard (Edinburgh), Neil McKinstry (Ulster).
79 James Rooney (Edge Hill), Tom Beasley (St Andrews), James A Wilson (Stirling), Craig Hughes (Strathclyde), Chris Fleming (Exeter), Kieron O'Connor (Loughborough).
WOMEN'S LEADERBOARD
75 Katie Bradbury (Exeter), Gemma Batty (Stirling).
78 Alex Saunders (Exeter), Hannah McCook (Stirling)
79 Nia Greville (Stirling)
81 Emma Newlove (Birmingham)
82 Rosa Rantanen (Loughborough)
84 Miranda Brain (St Andrews)
Labels: Student golf
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