WEST KILBRIDE CLIMAX TODAY
Forrest and Redford Set for Battle in
36-hole Scottish Boys Final
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
By ROSS DUNCAN
Today's 2010 Scottish Boys Championship final will be between Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest and the New Club St Andrews’ Ian Redford as both players clinched their matches in style with birdies on the final green at West Kilbride.
Forrest will bid to become only the second player after Burntisland’s Colin Fraser (1987-88) to win the Scottish Boys U16s and Scottish Boys Match Play Double, after winning a superb contest with Jack McDonald by two holes. The 16-year-old East Lothian star picked up seven birdies in glorious sunshine this afternoon and was five-under par for his round.
The game was nip and tuck throughout, but Forrest turned the match with a brace of birdies on the 13th and 14th holes. A superb rescue club approach to 25-foot set up a winning birdie at the thirteenth before the reigning U16s champion knocked his wedge into close range at the next to gain a two-hole advantage.
McDonald bounced back by winning the 15th and with the 16th and 17th halved in pars, it was Forrest who calmly rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to book his place in the two-round final.
“I knew I had to produce my best golf of the week to win the semi-final against Jack,” beamed Forrest, a fifth-year pupil at Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh. “My putting was the difference today and I managed to hole a few crucial putts this afternoon at key moments.”
“It was a great game of golf with lots of birdies. It’s good to go head to head with someone as good as Jack and beat them. My win at the U16s Championship at Largs last summer gave me a lot of confidence, but it’s a big step up from there to this level.
“I’ll have a rest tonight and watch some of the Masters on TV and then look forward to Saturday's final.” he added.
Fellow Scottish Boys cap Redford showed tremendous character to win his semi-final against Falkirk Tryst’s Jamie Lynch, fighting back from one after eight to close out his match on the 18th green with a 25-foot birdie putt.
Both players were quick off the blocks, sharing birdies on the opening two holes before Lynch produced his third consecutive birdie on the third to go one up. Redford replied immediately with a birdie at the fourth as the golf matched the warm sunshine on the Ayrshire coast.
Lynch went one up again at the sixth after a Redford error but dropped a shot at the ninth as the match went back to all square. Redford, like Forrest a national champion at U16s level, birdied the 11th to go one up for the first time in the match and held on throughout the back nine to notch the most important win of his career.
Reflecting on his last-hole victory Redford, who father Ian starred for Dundee United in the final of the 1987 UEFA Cup, said:
“You work hard and practise for moments like that and it feels great to win by holing a big putt on the final green with the crowd watching. My drive on the eighteenth was probably my best of the day and I knew the putt was going in as soon as I hit it.”
“I got a bit nervous over the last few holes as I had chances to close out the match, but got a great up and down at the 17th which was crucial. It’s been a long, tough week but I kept believing in myself and stayed patient. I enjoy playing under pressure and so I’m looking forward to the final. Grant is an excellent golfer and I’ll need to be at my best to win.”
Click here for hole-by-hole scores from the semi-finals of the Scottish Boys Championship.
http://www.golfbox.dk/livescoring/leaderboardMatchPlay.asp?tour={416E0EA5-1EC8-463B-A837-E4CE41DD00B7}&grp=1&round=6&clubOnly=1&color=1&lang=1033
+The Editor of Scottishgolfview.com is indebted to Ross Duncan and the Scottish Golf Union for the service of reports and results this week.
36-hole Scottish Boys Final
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
By ROSS DUNCAN
Today's 2010 Scottish Boys Championship final will be between Craigielaw’s Grant Forrest and the New Club St Andrews’ Ian Redford as both players clinched their matches in style with birdies on the final green at West Kilbride.
Forrest will bid to become only the second player after Burntisland’s Colin Fraser (1987-88) to win the Scottish Boys U16s and Scottish Boys Match Play Double, after winning a superb contest with Jack McDonald by two holes. The 16-year-old East Lothian star picked up seven birdies in glorious sunshine this afternoon and was five-under par for his round.
The game was nip and tuck throughout, but Forrest turned the match with a brace of birdies on the 13th and 14th holes. A superb rescue club approach to 25-foot set up a winning birdie at the thirteenth before the reigning U16s champion knocked his wedge into close range at the next to gain a two-hole advantage.
McDonald bounced back by winning the 15th and with the 16th and 17th halved in pars, it was Forrest who calmly rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to book his place in the two-round final.
“I knew I had to produce my best golf of the week to win the semi-final against Jack,” beamed Forrest, a fifth-year pupil at Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh. “My putting was the difference today and I managed to hole a few crucial putts this afternoon at key moments.”
“It was a great game of golf with lots of birdies. It’s good to go head to head with someone as good as Jack and beat them. My win at the U16s Championship at Largs last summer gave me a lot of confidence, but it’s a big step up from there to this level.
“I’ll have a rest tonight and watch some of the Masters on TV and then look forward to Saturday's final.” he added.
Fellow Scottish Boys cap Redford showed tremendous character to win his semi-final against Falkirk Tryst’s Jamie Lynch, fighting back from one after eight to close out his match on the 18th green with a 25-foot birdie putt.
Both players were quick off the blocks, sharing birdies on the opening two holes before Lynch produced his third consecutive birdie on the third to go one up. Redford replied immediately with a birdie at the fourth as the golf matched the warm sunshine on the Ayrshire coast.
Lynch went one up again at the sixth after a Redford error but dropped a shot at the ninth as the match went back to all square. Redford, like Forrest a national champion at U16s level, birdied the 11th to go one up for the first time in the match and held on throughout the back nine to notch the most important win of his career.
Reflecting on his last-hole victory Redford, who father Ian starred for Dundee United in the final of the 1987 UEFA Cup, said:
“You work hard and practise for moments like that and it feels great to win by holing a big putt on the final green with the crowd watching. My drive on the eighteenth was probably my best of the day and I knew the putt was going in as soon as I hit it.”
“I got a bit nervous over the last few holes as I had chances to close out the match, but got a great up and down at the 17th which was crucial. It’s been a long, tough week but I kept believing in myself and stayed patient. I enjoy playing under pressure and so I’m looking forward to the final. Grant is an excellent golfer and I’ll need to be at my best to win.”
Click here for hole-by-hole scores from the semi-finals of the Scottish Boys Championship.
http://www.golfbox.dk/livescoring/leaderboardMatchPlay.asp?tour={416E0EA5-1EC8-463B-A837-E4CE41DD00B7}&grp=1&round=6&clubOnly=1&color=1&lang=1033
+The Editor of Scottishgolfview.com is indebted to Ross Duncan and the Scottish Golf Union for the service of reports and results this week.
Labels: Boys
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, April 10, 2010
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