SGU'S ELITE SQUAD BEAT SOUTH AFRICA IN GOLF TEST MATCH

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Aberdour’s in-form Scott Crichton, pictured, played the leading role as the SGU Men’s National Squad defeated South Africa in an International Test Match to clinch The Leopard Trophy for the first time since 2010.
Holding a two-point overnight lead at Leopard Creek Country Club, the Scots achieved a 11½-9½ success despite a spirited singles comeback from the host nation.
It was the third successive time that the two-day Test has been played at the championship layout near Malelane, but it was the visitors who this time took the spoils to deny South Africa a hat-trick of wins.
Crichton, fresh from finishing in a share of sixth place in the South African Stroke Play last week, was the star of the show for the SGU Men’s Squad, who are competing in South Africa as part of an eight-week winter performance programme.
The Fifer, third on the SGU Men’s Order of Merit last year, won all four of his ties (foursomes and singles) as the Scots achieved a memorable triumph.
The visitors extended their overnight 6½-4½ lead to four points after winning all three morning foursomes.
For a second day running, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) combined with Crichton to win, this time beating South Africa’s No 1 Brandon Stone and Shaun Smith 2 and 1.
Fife pair Brian Soutar (Leven GS) and James White (Lundin) then stayed on a winning course by defeating JP Strydom and Drikus Bruyns 4 and 3.
C J du Plessis and Zander Lombard also went down for the hosts, losing 3 and 1 to Daniel Kay (Dunbar) and his new partner, Conor O’Neil of Pollok.
Only Haydn Porteous, winner of the Stroke Play Championship, who was scheduled to play Kirkhill’s Paul Shields in a singles match, earned South Africa’s lone point when the Scot had to withdraw due to a stomach ailment.
Riding a wave of confidence, Crichton then again beat Stone by a hole in the opening afternoon singles tie and McKenna followed suit, ousting Du Plessis by the same margin.
The wins gave the Scots overall victory, but South Africa won the last four singles ties to illustrate their quality and mean the SGU Squad only triumphed by two points.
“With the lunchtime score our guys really had to dig deep in the single ties to get out of trouble,” said South African Golf Association president, Colin Burger. “But the final score line tells very little of the thrilling battle that played itself out in the singles.
“In reflection, international tournaments like these are aimed at providing our players with an opportunity to compete against top amateurs in the world. We shouldn’t lose sight of the invaluable experience a Test like this brings, especially for our rookies.”
SGU National Coach Ian Rae added: “It was a tremendous performance from the guys, who played fantastically well throughout the Test.
“Scott (Crichton) was the stand-out performer of the match. He won his four matches and beat their top-ranked player, Brandon Stone, three times. Scott was awesome.”



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