WILSON BEATS BLANEY ON COUNTBACK CLIMAX AT GULLANE

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Alexander Wilson edged out Lothian colleague Anthony Blaney to win the opening event on this season’s Scottish Hydro Junior Tour at Gullane.

Forty two of the country’s leading Under-18 talents fought out the 54-hole tournament over the weekend with Wilson, from The Renaissance Club, prevailing after a count back.

Wilson and Blaney (Liberton) both posted five under par totals on Gullane No 2 to head the field, but it was the former who claimed victory after a sparking final round five-under 66.

Wilson’s eagle two at the par 4 third was ultimately the key to his triumph in the first competitive action of 2012. It was a notable win for the youngster, who was 44th on the Boys' Order of Merit in 2011.

Blaney, the SGU National Boys’ Squad player, had to settle for the runners-up berth, with Ewan Scott (St Andrews) and Craig Howie (Peebles) finishing at four under par to share third place.

Jamie Savage (Cawder) was fifth on his own after an excellent final round 67.

It was a fine test for the field ahead of the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Boys’ Championship which tees off at Murcar Links a week today

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71) SS 71 CSS 71 71 70

208 Alexander Wilson (The Renaissance) 70 72 66, Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 68 71 69 (Wilson won card play-off)

209 Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 72 71 66, Craig Howie (Peebles) 70 69 70

210 Jamie Savage (Cawder) 72 71 67

212 George Burns (Williamwood) 72 68 72

213 Lawrence Allan (Alva) 71 72 70

214 Greg Forrester (Lundin) 75 71 68, Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) 73 73 68, Calum Hill (Tantallon) 72 72 70.
215 David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) 71 74 70.
216 Cameron Kirkwood (Bearsden) 77 72 67, Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) 75 72 69, Cameron Farrell (Cardross) 72 71 73.

Scottish Hydro is sponsoring all three Junior Tour events this year, reflecting their support for junior golf in this country, as well as the Scottish Boys’ Order of Merit.

The other Junior Tour events are at The Roxburghe (26-27 May) and Rowallan Castle (16-17 June).

>> Click here for the final scores from the Scottish Hydro Junior Tour Event 1

Round-up

* Lloyd Saltman, who enjoyed a prolific amateur career within the SGU ranks, came up short in his bid for a maiden success on the European Tour at the Sicilian Open.

The 26-year-old from Craigielaw trailed by four shots going into the final round but a one over par final round 73 saw him drop into a share of 19th spot, eight shots behind Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen who secured his first Tour win.

Saltman was joined on the seven-under-par mark, by countryman Richie Ramsay and Scott Jamieson, after former US Amateur champion Ramsay posted a superb closing 65 with Jamieson, another SGU graduate, firing a classy 66.

* Jamie McLeary, the 2001 Scottish Youths champion, finished tied 14th in the Barclays Kenya Open after carding a level par 71 in the final round at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.

The Edinburgh man started the week well with a four under par 67 in the European Challenge Tour event, but subsequent rounds of 73, 70 and 71 left him at three under par overall, seven shots off the champion, England’s Seve Benson.

* Rookie pro James Byrne, a Walker Cup hero at Royal Aberdeen last September, shared 24th place in the Panasonic Open India on the Asian Tour.

Banchory’s Byrne, who has full playing rights on the Asian circuit in 2012, passed up birdie chances early on but still closed with a final round two-under-par 70 in New Delhi, 12 strokes behind home winner Digvijay Singh.