And the winner is ... Matthew Southgate from Essex. Image by courtesty of the St Andrews Links Trust.

Philip McLean shoots eight birdies over Old Course

as he finishes jt second in St Andrews Links Trophy

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Paul Lawrie protege Philip McLean from Peterhead gave his mentor something to aim for in next month's Open over the same course when he shot a bag of eight birdies over the Old Course and finished on a high with a 68 to share second place in the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy today.
McLean’s eight-under-par total of 280 matched that of Walker Cup youngster and playing partner Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale) as they finished five shots behind the winner, Essex man Matthew Southgate (Thorpe Hall).
“That’s my best in five attempts at this tournament,” said McLean, Edward Trophy winner earlier in the season and coached by Neil Marr. “I was determined to do better this weekend than I’ve done in the past so I came down to St Andrews on the Wednesday and got in some good practice rounds.
“I was hitting the ball pretty straight and, looking back, I could have finished second on my own but for a double bogey 6 with a lost ball at the second in the final round. But I can’t complain really. That spurred me on to birdie the third, fourth, fifth, 10th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 18th.
“I knew it was between me and Stiggy for second place and when he holed from about 20ft for a birdie at the last I knew I had to follow him in from seven feet, also for a birdie, which I did. So that was a nice way to end. I’m going home to Peterhead with some good memories.”
Southgate, 21 years old, has yet to gain a full England cap. His biggest win prior to this was in his home county, the Essex open amateur championship.
“I couldn’t have picked a better place for my biggest win,” said Southgate who shared the lead at halfway with Denmark’s Daniel Lokke and Ben Westgate (Trevose) on six-under-par 138.
Stiggy Hodgson took over the lead after a third-round 67 for 207, a one-shot lead over Southgate who forged clear on his own to win by five shots with a closing 67 (34-33) for a 13-under-par total of 275.
British boys' champion Tom Lewis was looking like the winner's main challenger until he had double bogeys at two holes birdied by Southgate on the run home. That meant a six-shot swing over these holes and killed off the charge by Lewis who finished joint foufrth with Todd Adcock (Nevill) and Jack Senior (Heysham) on 281.
Second Scot in the hit parade was Michael Stewart from Troon Welbeck, recently returned for the summer holidays from East Tennessee State University. Stewart finished joint seventh on 282 with Sunday rounds of 72 and 69 over the Old Course. On the same mark was Romain Wattel, the Frenchman who won the Scottish open amateur stroke play title the weekend before at Glasgow Gailes.
Stirling University student James White (Lundin) shared 15th place on 284, closing with 70 and 71.
Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) finished joint 24th on 286 with Sunday rounds of 67 and 75.
The seven Scots who survived the halfway cut were completed by Ross Bell (Downfield) on 288, Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 292, and Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 297.
FINAL TOTALS
First two rounds Jubilee Course, third and fourth rounds Old Course.
Par 288 (4x72) CSS 73 73
275 Matthew Southgate (Thorpe Hall) 68 70 70 67.
280 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 70 70 72 68, Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale) 69 71 67 73.
281 Todd Adcock (Nevill) 71 73 70 67, Jack Senior (Heysham) 70 73 67 71, Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City) 69 70 70 72.
282 Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 72 72 69 69, Romain Wattel (Fra) 74 69 68 71, Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 73 68 72 69, Chris Lloyd (Kendleshire) 72 68 69 73, Ben Westgate (Trevose) 67 71 70 74.
283 Alexander Levy (Fra) 73 69 71 70, Adrian Otaegui (Spain) 72 69 71 72, Patricio Salem (Peru) 67 73 71 72.
284 James White (Lundin) 7` 71 70 71, Laurie Canter (Saltford) 72 70 72 70, Alastair Jones (Radyr) 69 73 70 72, Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park) 70 71 70 73.
285 Neil Raymond (Corhampton) 74 70 71 70, James Frazer (Pennard) 72 68 75 70, Ben Campbell (NZ) 70 70 73 72, Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth) 70 70 72 73, Daniel Lokke (Den) 66 72 7671..
286 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 71 73 67 75, Matthew Nixon (Ashton under Lyne) 71 72 68 75, Sam Claridge (Harpenden Common) 72 68 74 72.
287 Seamus Power (West Waterford) 71 73 70 73.
288 Pierre-Alexis Rolland (Bel) 74 69 69 76, Ross Bell (Downfield) 70 72 73 73.
289 Jerome Lando Casanova (Fra) 73 70 75 71.
290 Sebastian Maclean (Bol) 71 73 74 72, Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle) 70 74 74 72, David Coupland (Boston) 68 73 76 73.
292 Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 72 70 78 72.
293 Nino Bertasio (Ita) 71 73 74 75.
295 Patrick Spraggs (Stowmarket) 73 71 77 74, Liam Burns (Sundridge Park) 71 73 73 78.
297 Jonathan Hurst (Shaw Hill) 69 75 78 75, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 73 71 75 78.
302 Richard Smith (Notts) 72 72 78 80.