Chloe clings on for debut Student Tour victory

By ROB MACPHERSON 
On a very wet, indeed dismal day at Ladybank Golf Club, the cream of Scotland's student golfers battled through the puddles to complete the 10th Ladybank Golf Tournament.

In the Ladies event, overnight leader Chloe Goadby (Stirling; St Regulus) held her nerve in her first ever Scottish Student/BUCS event despite a great front nine charge by teammate Jen Saxton (Stirling; Muckhart). Saxton was four under par through eleven holes and briefly took the lead, however Goadby's more consistent final six holes saw her pull back ahead an ultimately triumph by five shots as Saxton fell back. In third place was defending champion and local student, Ailsa Summers (St Andrews; Carnoustie Ladies).

In the Men's event, overnight leader Craig Chalmers (Strathclyde; Cawder) had a disaster of a day, faltering to an 82 and out of the prizes. This left the field clear for fellow British University team member Mike Howard (Edinburgh; Royal Birkdale), defending champion Andrew Wilson (Northumbria; Darlington) and Connor Neil (Abertay Dundee; Blairgowrie). All three players were equal at +3 overall through the ninth hole, but - as the heavens opened and the rain forced a temporary suspension of play - it was Howard who remained strong to finish with a 70 for his final round and a +3 final total. Mike, who previously had studied at Stirling University before undertaking his Masters in Golf Course Design at Edinburgh University, had finished runner-up on two previous occasions and was delighted to lift the quaich in the first regular tour event of the season. Wilson, despite a valiant final round 69, succumbed to his only bogey of the day in the worst of the conditions at the 16th and Neil - aware he needed a birdie, birdie finish to lift the trophy managed a brilliant birdie 3 on seventeen but could only manage a par 4 on the last to miss out by one.

The next event on the BUCS Student Tour in Scotland is at Fairmont St Andrews during the first weekend in November.

FINAL TOTALS
 MEN
Par 213 (3x71)
216 Mike Howard (Edinburgh) 72 74 70.
217 Andrew Wilson (Northumbria) 74 74 69, Connor Neil (Abertay Dundee) 69 76 72
221 Chris MacLean (Stirling) 74 72 75
223 Steven Burn (Northumbria) 77 75 71, George Burns (St Andrews) 73 76 74, Tom Spencer (Aberdeen) 76 73 74, Tom Beasley (St Andrews) 73 75 75.
224 Luke Robinson (St Andrews) 73 73 75, James Wilson (Stirling) 77 73 74, Sean Walter (Stirling) 72 77 75, Marvell Horvath (St Andrews) 75 72 77
225 Cameron Graham (Strathclyde) 79 84 83, Adam Mulhall (Stirling) 75 77 73, Jack Forgan (Stirling) 75 71 79.
WOMEN
Par 213 (3x71)
215 Chloe Goadby (Stirling) 75 66 72
218 Jen Saxton (Stirling) 72 75 71
222 Ailsa Summers (St Andrews) 72 73 77
223 Gemma Batty (Stirling) 75 71 77
229 Nia Greville (Stirling) 77 76 76
231 Marie Danielsson (St Andrews) 80 74 77, Sinead Sexton (Stirling) 73 79 79
237 Hannah Holden (Sheffield) 76 81 80.
238 Alexa Hammer (St Andrews) 77 80 81.