US COLLEGE GOLF SUMMARY

KIRTON’S BEST YET IN AMERICA

Newmachar’s Lewis Kirton, pictured right, continued the fine start to his American college golf career with his best finish yet – joint third in the Wolf Run Intercollegiate tournament at Wolf Run Golf Club, Zionsville in Indiana.
Lewis, a freshman student at the University of Louisville, Kentucky had rounds of 74, 73 and 70 over the 7,195yd, par-71 course for a total of 217 – three shots behind Louisville team-mate Derek Fathauer who won the event by two strokes with 66, 73 and 75 for one-over-par 214.
Kirton’s closing 70 was the best third round by anyone in the field.
Great Britain & Ireland boy international Lewis did not quite make it a double whammy – Louisville lost to great rivals, the University of Kentucky, at the second hole of a play-off for the team title after they had tied on 886 – 10 shots ahead of third placed Central Florida.

STEWART’S GLORY RUN IN DANGER

Grantown on Spey’s Duncan Stewart, a student at Jacksonville University, Florida, needs to produce something special in the third and last round of the Duke College Classic if he is to extend his winning sequence to five events.
Winner of his last two tournaments before the summer break, Stewart has won his first two events of the 2006-2006 college season.
But he is back in a share of 26th place after 36 holes at Duke Golf Club, Durham, North Carolina after rounds of 77 and 70 for 147 over the par-72, 7,105yd course.
Jacksonville team-mate Russell Knox from Inverness is also on the 147 mark after scores of 71 and 76.
A third Scot in the team, Jamie Kennedy from Edinburgh, is having his best tournament so far. Jamie is lying joint 14th on 146 after a 72 and 74.
Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina) leads on seven-under-par 137 (69-68).
Jacksonville are in eighth place behind Coastal Carolina in a field of 15 teams with one round to go.


DANIELLE JOINT 28TH IN NORTH CAROLINA

Danielle McVeigh from Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, a student at Texas A&M University, finished joint 28th on 229 with scores of 78, 74 and 77 in the Lady Tar Heel tournament at Chapel Hill Golf Club over the University of North Carolina’s Finley course which measures 6,285yd and has a par of 72.
Danielle’s team-mate Ashley Knoll, last year’s winner, shared first place with Sweden’s Caroline Westrup (Florida State) on two-under-par 214.
But Texas A&M, with no back-up for Danielle and Ashley, could finish only joint fifth in the team event won by Vanderbilt.


WILLETT WINS BY FIVE SHOTS

Daniel Willett (Jacksonville State University, Alabama) won the Mission Inn College Classic by five strokes at Howey in the Hills Golf Club, Florida.
Willett shot 69, 69 and 70 for five-under-par 208 to finish five strokes ahead of four players on 213.
Willett, a second-year student, has now won twice on the American college golf circuit.