SCOTS’ CHALLENGEFADES ON FINAL DAY
OF McEVOY TROPHY
Perth’s Sam McLaren and Banchory’s James Byrne dropped out of their overnight top eight placing over the final two rounds of the Peter McEvoy Trophy boys’ tournament at Copt Heath Golf Club, Solihull today.
The trophy was won by four shots by Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park) with the highly respectable total of seven-under-par 277, made up of consistently good rounds of 70, 66, 71 and 70.
The third Scot to survive the halfway cut, Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), pictured right, climbed up past McLaren and Byrne with rounds of 73 and 71 to add to his first-day 73 and 71. Michael totalled 288 and finished joint ninth.
The third Scot to survive the halfway cut, Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), pictured right, climbed up past McLaren and Byrne with rounds of 73 and 71 to add to his first-day 73 and 71. Michael totalled 288 and finished joint ninth.
McLaren, Scottish Under-16 boys’ champion last year, could not maintain the form that put him in third place at the start of the day with ronds of 69 and 71. Sam finished with 77 and 75 for 292 and a share of 21st place.
Byrne, joint eighth after 36 holes with scores of 74 and 69, signed off with 74 and 77 for 294 and a share if 27th place.
"Daily Telegraph" report:
Kent teenager Matt Haines proved himself to be an excellent front-runner to claim the biggest prize of his fledgling career. Haines, who led by three strokes overnight, had his advantage trimmed to a single shot by his county foursomes partner Billy Britton's tremendous four-under-par third round of 67 and then, midway through the final round, his playing partner Andrew Johnston. The Rochester and Cobham Park junior held off both challenges, however, to win by a margin of four.
Unaware of how Britton's challenge was fading two holes ahead, Haines could only concentrate on holding North Middlesex rival Johnston at bay. The key moment was at the 14th when Haines responded to two dropped shots by making a solid birdie as Johnston lipped out to make bogey.
Another birdie at the next, the 540-yard 15th, which many of the 72 players who contested this annual junior major can get up in two, took the leader back to seven under par and all threats to his taking the tournament then disintegrated.
"I couldn't make those putts when it mattered," lamented Johnston, who tied with Britton for second place on three under par. Britton put his frustration down to "thinking about the title too much" after his morning heroics.
Haines was elated afterwards and admitted to returning to the course nervously after taking control on the opening day. "It was a question of keeping it all together, especially after starting the final round with two bogeys," he said after emulating the triumphs here of Lee Westwood and Justin Rose.
Clubhouse leader for much of the afternoon was Billy Fowles, of Wentworth. He was disconsolate after a shaky finish emphasised by a double-bogey at the 17th. Fowles was five under after 11 and that message had filtered through to those behind him. He eventually posted the level-par target of 284, which proved good enough to earn joint-fourth with Eddie Pepperell, of Drayton Park.
Tipped as a future winner here is Minchinhampton's Oscar Sharpe, who at age of 14 already has a glittering array of junior honours and shared the lead after Wednesday's opening round. He could not match that sparkling 68 in three subsequent rounds but held his game together impressively to finish eighth on three over par.
Kent teenager Matt Haines proved himself to be an excellent front-runner to claim the biggest prize of his fledgling career. Haines, who led by three strokes overnight, had his advantage trimmed to a single shot by his county foursomes partner Billy Britton's tremendous four-under-par third round of 67 and then, midway through the final round, his playing partner Andrew Johnston. The Rochester and Cobham Park junior held off both challenges, however, to win by a margin of four.
Unaware of how Britton's challenge was fading two holes ahead, Haines could only concentrate on holding North Middlesex rival Johnston at bay. The key moment was at the 14th when Haines responded to two dropped shots by making a solid birdie as Johnston lipped out to make bogey.
Another birdie at the next, the 540-yard 15th, which many of the 72 players who contested this annual junior major can get up in two, took the leader back to seven under par and all threats to his taking the tournament then disintegrated.
"I couldn't make those putts when it mattered," lamented Johnston, who tied with Britton for second place on three under par. Britton put his frustration down to "thinking about the title too much" after his morning heroics.
Haines was elated afterwards and admitted to returning to the course nervously after taking control on the opening day. "It was a question of keeping it all together, especially after starting the final round with two bogeys," he said after emulating the triumphs here of Lee Westwood and Justin Rose.
Clubhouse leader for much of the afternoon was Billy Fowles, of Wentworth. He was disconsolate after a shaky finish emphasised by a double-bogey at the 17th. Fowles was five under after 11 and that message had filtered through to those behind him. He eventually posted the level-par target of 284, which proved good enough to earn joint-fourth with Eddie Pepperell, of Drayton Park.
Tipped as a future winner here is Minchinhampton's Oscar Sharpe, who at age of 14 already has a glittering array of junior honours and shared the lead after Wednesday's opening round. He could not match that sparkling 68 in three subsequent rounds but held his game together impressively to finish eighth on three over par.
ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71). CSS 71 71 72 72
277 M Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park) 70 66 71 70.
281 Andrew Johnston (North Middlesex) 70 69 72 70, Billy Britton (Pedham Place) 70 71 67 73.
284 B Fowles (Wentworth) 72 73 70 69, E Pepperell (Drayton Park) 70 72 70 72.
286 S Hodgson (Sunningdale) 75 69 72 70, D Renwick (Worthing) 71 73 71 71.
287 O Sharpe (Minchinhampton) 68 75 71 73.
288 M Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 73 71 73 71, J Clarke (Chelmsford) 74 72 69 73.
289 G King (Tyrrells Wood) 74 72 75 68, A Mayers (Northampton Co) 71 72 77 69, D Thomas (Braintree) 69 77 70 73, T Robson Rowlands Castle) 71 72 72 74, R Prophet (Shifnal) 72 69 73 75.
290 J Hiluta (Chelmsford) 77 71 71 71, G Porteous (Bamburgh Castle) 73 70 74 73.
291 J Galbraith (Rochford Hundred) 74 69 76 72, T Fleetwood (Formby Hall) 71 73 74 73, H Smart (Walton Heath) 72 75 70 74.
292 S Dodds (Coventry) 70 73 76 73, D Rowland (Boston West) 74 73 71 74, S McLaren (King James VI) 69 71 77 75, J Bartlett (Worthing) 71 75 70 76.
293 M Swan (Stoke by Nayland) 72 76 75 70, A Wills (Sandiway) 75 71 73 74.
294 J Wilson (Formby) 75 70 73 76, J Byrne (Banchory) 74 69 74 77.
295 J Vickery (Newport) 71 76 74 74, D Shevill (Prudhoe) 74 72 75 74, S Ballingall (Dunston Hall) 71 74 76 74, R Fitzgerald (Bromborough) 75 71 72 77, A Best (Cleveland) 71 73 73 78.
296 T King (Cleveland) 77 71 76 72, O Glaze (The Kendleshire) 75 72 75 74.
297 D Ginn (Sudbury) 68 76 77 76.
298 B Downing (Truro) 73 75 76 74, D Lloyd (Spalding) 73 71 80 74.
299 G Kensell (Knole Park) 75 73 78 73, O Pearl (Stoke by Nayland) 78 70 76 75, J Weight (Woburn) 68 74 81 76.
301 L Brace (Stoke by Nayland) 78 70 78 75.
302 D Baskott (Coventry) 73 74 77 78.
304 N Davis (Bush Hill Park) 74 74 80 76.
305 A Chesters (Hawkstone Park) 71 76 82 76.
Labels: Boys
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, April 19, 2007
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home