Craigielaw boy Fairburn wins

Lothians junior title at 18th

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Craigielaw Golf Club's impressive collection of titles now includes a Lothians Junior Championship after Simon Fairburn survived a mid-round wobble to pip a gutsy Louis Gaughan in last night's final at the Braids.
At the end of a marvellous week's golf at a venue to match, Fairburn, a 17-year-old from Galashiels who joined the East Lothian club to help him become a better player, won on the last green against an opponent from Bathgate two years his junior.
After a gentle start – they halved the first in par-4s – the pair were quickly into their stride, Gaughan holing from 15 feet for a birdie 2 at the second and Fairburn following him from much closer after a great tee shot.
A pushed drive from Gaughan that went deep into the gorse cost him the third and, after halving the fourth in birdies, Fairburn went two up when his opponent three-putted the fifth, something he'd rarely done en route to the final.
At the sixth, Fairburn, who just scraped into the match-play phase last Sunday, produced a genuine contender for shot of the week, hitting a beautifully-controlled lob wedge from below the green to less than a foot for a hole-winning birdie.
It was looking grim for Gaughan at that point and, after both players had played three shots at the seventh, there was a real danger that the West Lothian youngster could find himself further behind on the walk to the next tee.
But, in one of those classic match-play situations, he holed from six feet for a par and Fairburn missed from much closer after racing his first putt past the hole. Both players then made great up and downs at the short ninth before Gaughan reduced the deficit further at the tenth, where he was conceded a birdie after hitting a majestic third to no more than a foot.
For the first time all week, Fairburn looked a touch rattled as he hit poor tee shots at both the 11th and 12th, escaping with a half, thanks to a great birdie putt at the former but losing the latter to a par.
Suddenly, it was game on and, in truth, Gaughan looked at that point as he was starting to gain the upper hand. But, not for the first time in the event, Fairburn's short game came to his rescue, a brilliant pitch setting up a hole-winning birdie at the 14th, where Gaughan wasn't too far away with his own attempt for a 3.
Then, after the 15th was halved in pars – Fairburn missed a good chance for a birdie – Gaughan found a difficult position at the foot of a grassy bank with his drive at the 16th – one of the classic match-play holes in the Lothians.
However, it was his turn to conjure up a magical pitch, Fairburn conceding the birdie 3 before getting down in two putts to earn a half, keeping his nose just in front in the process.
Both players did well to make 3s at the next – Fairburn from the front of the green and Gaughan from the back edge – before both of them missed the green with their drives at the last, very much in range as it had been all week.
From an awkward lie short left, Gaughan couldn't quite advance his ball on to the putting surface and, though he made a brave attempt with his birdie putt, a straightforward par 4 was good enough to secure the title for Fairburn.
"I think I was trying to finish Louis off with that first putt at the seventh and ended up paying for my three-putt," reflected the new champion. "But I'm delighted to have emerged as the winner at the end of a tough week."
Fairburn's success adds to a double triumph by Craigielaw players in the men's equivalent recently, while the club has also chalked up some notable team triumphs at junior and senior level.
While disappointed to come up short, Gaughan, who had Bathgate pro Stuart Callan among his supporters, can feel proud of his effort during the week and, what's more, he's still go two more chances to go one better.
Now Fairburn will find himself in the strange position of lining up against the Lothians when he is on duty for Borders tomorrow in the Scottish boys' area team championship at Ballumbie Castle, near Dundee.
Lothians, the defending champions, are being represented by Dalmahoy's Tom Blennerhasset, Grant Forrest of Craigielaw, Harburn's Stuart Boyle and North Berwick's Chris Low, with team manager Paul Gibson hopeful about the quartet's chances.
"It will be a challenging defence of the trophy but we are well prepared, having been up there for two practice rounds," said Gibson.
+The full article contains 804 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.

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