Fraser McKenna takes early two-hole

lead in British boys' final

FROM THE R&A WEBSITE

Scot Fraser McKenna held a two-hole lead over hot favourite Pedro Figueiredo after nine holes of the 36-hole British boys' championship final at Little Aston Golf Club, Birmingham this morning.

After they halved the first two holes in par, the 17-year-old McKenna from the Balmore club, Glasgow won three holes in a row.

His Portuguese opponent drove into the trees on the par 5 third and took three to reach the green. McKenna was safely on in two and two-putted for a winning birdie.

At the 317yd fourth McKenna drove the green and Figueiredo was short of the front bunker in two. He thinned his wedge well past the flag and then almost holed the long putt, while McKenna left his first putt eight feet short but then holed it for another winning birdie.

At the short fifth both players missed the green. McKenna chipped to 12ft and knocked in another good putt in while his opponent chipped to five feet but missed it.

Figueiredo hit straight back at the sixth. McKenna drove into the trees down the left, hit a tree when going for the green with his second, had to chip out with his third, put his fourth onto the green, but Figueiredo, who was on the green in two, lagged up his first putt to win with a par.

They halved the seventh in fours, McKenna saving his par with a beautiful chip to 15 inches after his second finished short of the green, while Figueiredo two putted from 40 ft.

The Portuguese made a mistake at the eighth to go back to three down. His 3-wood tee-shot was 30 yards behind his rival, who hit his driver. Figueiredo was first to play and put his approach over the back of the green, then failed to get up and down. McKenna, safely on in two, almost holed his birdie putt.

Figueiredo hit back with a winning birdie at the short ninth, when McKenna just missed from 20ft and the Portuguese player holed from nine feet to cut the margin back to two.