BOY WONDER MACINTYRE FINISHES 18 UNDER PAR FOR THREE ROUNDS

Stephen Gallacher and Robert MacIntyre. Picture by courtesy of Kenny Smith.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Oban left hander Robert MacIntyre produced a display of sustained brilliance to win the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Scottish Under-18 boys' stroke play championship at The Roxburghe Hotel golf course Kelso by an astonishing nine strokes.
Rain reduced the final day's play from 36 to 18 holes - or else the 16-year-old Glencruitten boy wonder, who has already won the Scottish Under-21 youths championship this season, would almost certainly have won by an even bigger margin.
MacIntyre shot three six-under-par 66s in a row for an 18-under-par total of 198, of which Stephen Gallacher himself would have been proud.
Robert had only one bogey in his three rounds - at the second hole of his first circuit, which means he covered 52 consecutive holes without a bogey.
In his last round he managed to come home in 32, which was his best of the three days. His best outward nine was 31, compared with 34 in the third round. 
So if you join up his best out of 31 with his best in of 32, you get a best 18 of 63 (nine under par). What his eclectic score for the 18 holes over three days, goodness knows, but it was probably into the 50s.
His final collection of birdies came at the fifth, seventh, 10th, 12th, 13th and 16th.
Joint runners-up on nine-under-par 207 were Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), who had scores of 69-70-68, and repeating Paul Lawrie Scottish schoolboys champion Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) (67-70-70).

 
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BY ROSS DUNCAN

Glencruitten’s Robert MacIntyre produced a third consecutive 66 to storm to an incredible nine-shot victory in the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship at The Roxburghe.

Macintyre capped a memorable week by collecting the trophy from event sponsor Gallacher, who made a 250-mile trip south from a corporate day at Skibo Castle to present the trophy to the new champion, 21 years on from his own success in a championship he won twice in 1991 and 1992.

The 16-year-old left hander from Oban continued his superb form from the first two rounds and despite some impressive performances from the chasing pack on a third day reduced to 54 holes by the heavy morning rain, MacIntyre built on his lead to land a second major title of the season, with a stunning 18-under par total of 198. Indeed, his only dropped shot of the week came at the second hole of his opening round on Tuesday.

Bearsden youngster Ewen Ferguson clinched his second consecutive runners-up spot in the championship, signing off with a 68 for a 9-under par aggregate of 207, the same mark as Conor Syme (Dumfries and County), who finished with a final round 70, with Ferguson claiming the silver medal courtesy of the better last round.

A member of the Scotland Boys squad and Scottish Golf Academy, MacIntyre becomes the first player to win the national youths and boys’ stroke play titles in the same year, emulating Gallacher as one of only a handful of players to win both championships. 

Out in 34, the Oban High School pupil illuminated his round with birdies at 10, 12 and 13, before draining a 34-foot birdie putt on the 16^th – his 19^th birdie of the week – to round off a superb three days.

“It feels really good to win and this week was up there with the Youths the way I played. After the rain this morning, I felt that level par or thereabouts would be good enough to win, but my game came together really well on the back nine and I was delighted to shoot 66 again.” said Macintyre, who celebrates his 17^th birthday next weekend.

“My putting was really the key to my success this week. I struggled with it at the start of the season but I’ve been working really hard on my stroke with my coach, George Boswell, and it’s been much more consistent.

“It’s nice to have my name on the trophy alongside the likes of Stephen and hopefully I can keep my good form going into the Scottish Amateur Championship next week.” he added. 

Gallacher, who flies off to the States on Sunday for a crucial two-week stint where he’ll compete at the WGC in Firestone ahead of the USPGA Championship at Rochester, was hugely impressed with MacIntyre’s performance. 

“To shoot 18-under par anywhere is great but to do it on an excellent course like The Roxburghe is very impressive. He’s clearly a very good player and if he keeps working hard, I’m sure he can go onto to do really well. This event is a great stepping stone, and hopefully a few of the boys can emulate previous winners like myself, Scott Jamieson and Lloyd Saltman.”

“It’s also great to see so many young golfers competing from overseas for the event and seeing how good our courses are. We’re very grateful to courses such as The Roxburgh for hosting these events, which are vital to help us keep producing good young talent. Everyone at the Foundation is delighted to involve in supporting a championship which holds so many good memories for me.”

Cawder’s Calum Fyfe won the George McDonald Memorial Trophy for finishing the best placed Under 16 player with a 2-under tally of 214 and a share of 7^th spot, while Tantallon’s Calum Hill closed out with an excellent 67 to end his week on a high in 6^th spot.

Englishmen Jack Floydd (Haywards Heath) matched MacIntyre’s final round 66 to share fourth spot alongside Sweden’s Oskar Bergqvist on 8-under par.