KIRTON, LARKIN FAIL TO GET

ONE BIRDIE BETWEEN THEM

IN CONFERENCE SHOWDOWNS

North-east exiles Lewis Kirton (Louisville University) from Oldmeldrum and Scott Larkin (College of Charleston), pictured right, from Banchory both had a day to forget in the final round of their conference championships today.
Lewis dropped from joint 17th overnight to a final placing of joint 29th in a field of 60 for the Big East Conference championship at Cardinal Club, Simpsonsville in Kentucky.
Kirton, after rounds of 76 and 72 over the par-72, 7,036yd course, had an uninspired five-over-par 77 for a nine-over-par total of 225. Lewis did not have a single birdie on the last day – only five bogeys between the eighth and the 16th.
He finished 16 shots behind the winner, team-mate Daryl Fathauer who had scores of 71, 68 and 70 for seven-under 209 to win by two shots from Mike Van Sickle (Marquette).
Big consolation for Lewis was that Louisville, who had three players in the first four, won the title by 12 shots from Notre Dame and they progress to the regional finals, the last hurdle before the NCAA national finals.

Final totals: Louisville 844, Notre Dame 856, St John's 871. Twelve teams took part.
Playing in the Southern Conference championship at Country Club of South Carolina in Florence, Scott Larkin ran up a quadruple bogey 7 at the short 12th and also dropped shots at five other holes in returning a birdie-less 81 (38-43) after earlier rounds of 75 and 73 over the par-72, 7,062yd course.

The Banchory player's 13-over-par total of 229 gave him a final placing of joint 33rd in a field of 50 players. He finished 16 shots behind winner J D Bass (North Carolina-Greensboro) (72-73-68 for three-under 213)
College of Charleston (896) finished seventh of 10 behind Tennessee-Chattanooga (864) in the team event which means Larkin’s college golf season is over.