YANKEE DOODLE DANDY DANIEL NOW WINS LEVEN GOLD MEDAL

Prizewinning group with Graham Gordon (far left), Daniel Young (centre) and Scott Borrowman extreme right. Image by courtesy of Leven Golfing Society.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Experience on the US college golf circuit can be the making of a player. Andrew McArthur came back from the States a better player than when he went and won the Scottish amateur title.
Perth player Daniel Young's golf game also seems to have benefited greatly from regular competition against quality players in the States ... he scored his second victory on this year's SGU Order of Merit circuit when he won the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal at the weekend.

The Craigie Hill GC member and student at Lynn University, Boca Raton in Florida, followed up his success in the rain-shortened Cameron Corbett Vase at Haggs Castle GC, Glasgow a few weeks ago with a five-under-par total of 279 to win the world's oldest amateur stroke-play championshi - first played in 1870 - by two strokes from former Scottish amateur champion and past Walker Cup player, Graham Gordon (Newmachar) with former Scottish youths champion Scott Borrowman (Dollar) in third place.

James Ross (Royal Burgess), winner of the Sutherland Chalice at Dumfries and Galloway last month, led through the first two rounds but slipped out of contention with a third round of seven-over-par 78 and would eventually finish fifth.

Daniel Young's Sunday morning four-under 67 fora 206 runnng tally propelled him into a five-shot lead from Borrowman (67 for 211) with Gordon (68 for 212) now in third place.

Young went off the boil in the final round but, with such a big lead, he could afford the luxury of signing off with a two-over 73 for 279.

Gordon, with a closing 69 for 281, slipped past Borrowman (71 for 282) to win his second Silver Medal in this prestigious tournament. He also has a Gold Medal from his victory at Leven in 2000.
Gordon bogeyed the 17th hole in his last round when he split his ball off his drive. The mishap possibily cost the Aberdonian, a reinstated amateur this season after a short career as a tour pro blighted by injury and illness, his last chance of overhauling Young over the last two holes. 

There was a seven-shot gap between Borrowman and the fourth-placed Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) whose third-round 66 was the lowest of the tournament.

He reduced the first nine holes to only 28 strokes, six under par, highlighted by an eagle 3 at the par-5 sixth.

Richard Docherty (Bearsden), who played above expectations to reach the final of the Scottish amateur championship at Royal Dornoch recently, made the halfway cut at Leven but finished well down the field on 306. His lowest round of the four was a four-over-par 75. Sic transit gloria.
Ross Bell (Downfield) did not defend the title he won in 2011.

STANDARD LIFE LEVEN GOLD MEDAL

Leven Golfing Society

FINAL TOTALS

Par 284 (4x71) CSS 74 74 72 75

 279 Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) 69 70 67 73

281 Graham Gordon

74 70 68 69

282 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 72 70 69 71

289

Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 74 76 66 73

292 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 

67 71 78 76

293 John Mathers (Haggs Castle)

74 77 73 69

294 Graham Robertson (Silverknowes)

76 72 71 75, Elliot Wilson (Goswick) 73 75 71 75,Stephen Speirs (Australia) 72 71 70 81

295 Charlie MacNeal (Troon Welbeck) 

73 76 72 74, Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 73 75 70 77, David Paterson (Leven GS) 72 75 71 77, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 74 70 73 78

296 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 

81 70 70 75,

Alan Sutherland  (Ladybank)

71 75 72 78, James Hendrick (Pollok) 71 75 71 79

297 Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 71

 76 77 73, Chris Robb (Meldrum House) 71 74 79 73,Neil Henderson (Glen) 73 73 73 78

298 Ross Kane (Grangemouth) 

74 71 79 74,Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) 73 77 73 75

301 Greg Forrester (Lundin)

74 74 71 82

302 Paul Drake (Pumpherston) 

73 73 71 85

303 Jack Harling (Banchory) 

76 78 75 74,Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay) 74 80 74 75, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 78 75 73 77

305 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon)  

72 80 76 77,

Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 

73 73 81 78, David Mitchell (Leven Thistle) 75 79 71 80, Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) 74 76 75 80, Niall McMullen (Lochgelly) 76 76 72 81

306 John Duff (Newmachar)

73 78 79 76, Richard Docherty (Bearsden) 78 76 75 77

307 Neil Beattie (St Andrews New)

75 77 76 79, John Laurie (Glasgow) 73 76 75 83

309 Gordon Miller (Cawder) 73 78 73 85

313 Keith Shanks (Elie Golf House) 

72 79 86 76

314 Richard Barr (Newmachar)

74 78 78 84

ends