BOYS' HOME INTERNATIONALS
GREAT DAY FOR THE IRISH - AND THE
SCOTS DIDN'T DO TOO BADLY EITHER!
FROM COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scotland are right in there pitching for their first boys’ home golf internationals’ title triumph since 1995 after a day of drama and brilliant scoring over the Moray Golf Club’s Old Course links at Lossiemouth.
The Scots walloped Wales 10 1/2-4 1/2 and Ireland did them a good turn by loosening England’s eight-year grip on the R&A Trophy with a come-from-behind 8-7 victory.
The North-east trio of Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) and James Byrne (Banchory) plundered birdies galore as the Scots followed up a 4-1 success in the foursomes by taking the singles 6 ½-3 ½.
Kirton, soon to leave these shores for four years at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, was a brilliant seven under par in winning the top singles tie by 6 and 5 over Richard Merchant from Monmouthshire.
“It was just one of those great afternoons when everything goes your way,” said Lewis. “I had seven birdies and not a single bogey.”
Kirton’s birdies came at the first, second, fifth, sixth, ninth, 10th, and 13th.
He was three up after six holes, four up at the turn and six up after 12.
British boys’ championship finalist for the past two years, Jordan Findlay, already a student at East Tennessee State University, was four under par in winning by 4 and 3 in the No 2 singles match against Rhys Enoch from Truro.
Findlay squeezed four birdies in eight holes from the fifth to the 12th. He birdied the fifth, ninth, 10th and 12th, winning four holes in a row from the ninth to go from all square to four holes up. Enoch himself birdied three of the first six holes – the first, second and sixth.
James Byrne had six birdies in all – but only got a halved match against the rising Welsh star, Zack Gould from Vale of Glamorgan. In a classy finish, the 15th was halved in birdie 2s; Byrne won the 16th and 17th with birdies to go one up …. And Gould holed a 20-foot birdie putt across the last green to get a square match.
“I had a couple of bad holes but was six under par for the rest,” said the 17-year-old Byrne who already has the American colleges chasing him to sign up for the autumn of next year.
New Scottish Under-18 stroke-play champion Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw), two down after six, lost by one hole to Jason Shufflebotham (Prestatyn), who reached the semi-finals of the Welsh men’s amateur championship a week or two ago.
After Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), who had been two up with six to play, halved with Joseph Vickery (Newport) in level-par figures, Zack Saltman got the victory-clinching eighth point with a 3 and 2 win over Jonathan Williams (Vale of Glamorgan). Zack won three holes in a row from the seventh to go from two down to one up and he never looked back after that.
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White (Lundin) was one down with three to play against Marc Lewis (Borth & Ynysalas) but finished like a train to win by one hole. The 16th was halved in birdies and then White won the 17th and 18th.
“It was quite clear-cut in the end but for a spell in late afternoon, after we had gained points at the top of the singles order, I was wondering where we were going to get the rest of the points for victory, “said Scotland non-playing captain Barrie Dougas.
“But the lads saw off the Welsh fightback. It was a great all-round performance morning and afternoon.”
HOW IRELAND BEAT ENGLAND
Ireland, who finished bottom of the table with no points at all 12 months ago at Woodhall Spa, beat England 8-7 after losing the morning foursomes 3-2 by taking the singles 6-4.
In an exciting finish, the scores were tied at 7-7 with the outcome of one singles tie still in the balance – Billy Fowles of Wentworth against James Patterson (Royal Portrush).
All square at the turn, 16-year-old Fowles was one up after 12 but Patterson turned the tables to lead by one hole after 15. The Irish teenager maintained his slender lead through the closing holes with a tie-breaking performance.
But there were other Irish heroes. Niall Kearney from Royal Dublin won the top singles match by 3 and 2 over England’s playing captain, Sam Hutsby (Lee-on-the-Solent), who won the Spanish men’s open amateur championship at the start of the season.
And Paul O’Kane, from Moyola Park, Co Londonderry, beat the recently-crowned English Under-18 boys’ champion Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle) by 4 and 3 to square the overall scoreline at 5-5.
Ireland’s other singles winners were Andrew Hogan (Newlands) and Colin Fairweather (Knock).
Paul Cutler (Portstewart) halved with Luke Goddard (Hendon) while Luke Lennox (Moyola Park) halved with Adam Hodkinson (Hallowes).
+Scroll down to read all the results from an exciting first day at Moray Golf Club and, if you want to know who won the Lyon Foursomes at Deeside - and the rest of the women's and girls' golf news - switch to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk
SCOTS DIDN'T DO TOO BADLY EITHER!
FROM COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scotland are right in there pitching for their first boys’ home golf internationals’ title triumph since 1995 after a day of drama and brilliant scoring over the Moray Golf Club’s Old Course links at Lossiemouth.
The Scots walloped Wales 10 1/2-4 1/2 and Ireland did them a good turn by loosening England’s eight-year grip on the R&A Trophy with a come-from-behind 8-7 victory.
The North-east trio of Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) and James Byrne (Banchory) plundered birdies galore as the Scots followed up a 4-1 success in the foursomes by taking the singles 6 ½-3 ½.
Kirton, soon to leave these shores for four years at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, was a brilliant seven under par in winning the top singles tie by 6 and 5 over Richard Merchant from Monmouthshire.
“It was just one of those great afternoons when everything goes your way,” said Lewis. “I had seven birdies and not a single bogey.”
Kirton’s birdies came at the first, second, fifth, sixth, ninth, 10th, and 13th.
He was three up after six holes, four up at the turn and six up after 12.
British boys’ championship finalist for the past two years, Jordan Findlay, already a student at East Tennessee State University, was four under par in winning by 4 and 3 in the No 2 singles match against Rhys Enoch from Truro.
Findlay squeezed four birdies in eight holes from the fifth to the 12th. He birdied the fifth, ninth, 10th and 12th, winning four holes in a row from the ninth to go from all square to four holes up. Enoch himself birdied three of the first six holes – the first, second and sixth.
James Byrne had six birdies in all – but only got a halved match against the rising Welsh star, Zack Gould from Vale of Glamorgan. In a classy finish, the 15th was halved in birdie 2s; Byrne won the 16th and 17th with birdies to go one up …. And Gould holed a 20-foot birdie putt across the last green to get a square match.
“I had a couple of bad holes but was six under par for the rest,” said the 17-year-old Byrne who already has the American colleges chasing him to sign up for the autumn of next year.
New Scottish Under-18 stroke-play champion Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw), two down after six, lost by one hole to Jason Shufflebotham (Prestatyn), who reached the semi-finals of the Welsh men’s amateur championship a week or two ago.
After Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), who had been two up with six to play, halved with Joseph Vickery (Newport) in level-par figures, Zack Saltman got the victory-clinching eighth point with a 3 and 2 win over Jonathan Williams (Vale of Glamorgan). Zack won three holes in a row from the seventh to go from two down to one up and he never looked back after that.
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White (Lundin) was one down with three to play against Marc Lewis (Borth & Ynysalas) but finished like a train to win by one hole. The 16th was halved in birdies and then White won the 17th and 18th.
“It was quite clear-cut in the end but for a spell in late afternoon, after we had gained points at the top of the singles order, I was wondering where we were going to get the rest of the points for victory, “said Scotland non-playing captain Barrie Dougas.
“But the lads saw off the Welsh fightback. It was a great all-round performance morning and afternoon.”
HOW IRELAND BEAT ENGLAND
Ireland, who finished bottom of the table with no points at all 12 months ago at Woodhall Spa, beat England 8-7 after losing the morning foursomes 3-2 by taking the singles 6-4.
In an exciting finish, the scores were tied at 7-7 with the outcome of one singles tie still in the balance – Billy Fowles of Wentworth against James Patterson (Royal Portrush).
All square at the turn, 16-year-old Fowles was one up after 12 but Patterson turned the tables to lead by one hole after 15. The Irish teenager maintained his slender lead through the closing holes with a tie-breaking performance.
But there were other Irish heroes. Niall Kearney from Royal Dublin won the top singles match by 3 and 2 over England’s playing captain, Sam Hutsby (Lee-on-the-Solent), who won the Spanish men’s open amateur championship at the start of the season.
And Paul O’Kane, from Moyola Park, Co Londonderry, beat the recently-crowned English Under-18 boys’ champion Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle) by 4 and 3 to square the overall scoreline at 5-5.
Ireland’s other singles winners were Andrew Hogan (Newlands) and Colin Fairweather (Knock).
Paul Cutler (Portstewart) halved with Luke Goddard (Hendon) while Luke Lennox (Moyola Park) halved with Adam Hodkinson (Hallowes).
+Scroll down to read all the results from an exciting first day at Moray Golf Club and, if you want to know who won the Lyon Foursomes at Deeside - and the rest of the women's and girls' golf news - switch to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, August 08, 2006
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