BRADLEY NEIL WINS SCOTTISH BOYS' MATCH-PLAY TITLE IN A FRIENDLY CLASSIC
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NEWS RELEASE FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
By ED HODGE, PR and Media Executive
Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil has won the
battle of the top seeds to claim the 2013 Scottish Boys Championship,
supported by TaylorMade-adidas-Golf, at Monifieth Golf Links.
The 17-year-old sealed a 4 and 2 win
over No 1 seed Ewan Scott from St Andrews in the 36-hole final in Angus
after a superb day’s golf played out in wonderfully sunny and calm
conditions.
After the players were deadlocked at
lunch, Neil took control in the afternoon thanks to some brilliant iron
play – including a holed 8-iron approach at the par-4 sixth hole – to
consign Scott to back-to-back final defeats in the prestigious
Under-18 event. The Perthshire player was five-under-par for their 16
holes after lunch, four shots better than Scott.
In doing so, Neil avenged his
quarter-final loss to Scott 12 months ago and becomes the first player
from the Blairgowrie club to take the Scottish Boys matchplay title. He
also joins a winners' list that includes Andrew Coltart, Steven
O'Hara and Scott Henry.
A jubilant Neil, who together with
Scott won gold medals for Team GB at the Australian Youth Olympic
Festival earlier this year, said: “To pull off a shot like I did at the
6th at any time is fantastic, but to do it in the Scottish Boys
final was unthinkable. It was definitely a turning point, and I holed a
fantastic putt at the previous hole as well to go one up. I think that
putt was just as crucial as holing the second shot.
“It gave me great confidence and from
there I never really looked back. I started to pull shots off at the
right time, which is what I’ve worked hard to do. It shows I have the
determination and motivation to succeed. I was determined to
keep my foot on the gas, especially against a player like Ewan.”
Scott, 17, like Neil a graduate of the
Scottish Golf Academy and both members of the SGU Boys Performance
Squad, was aiming to become the first golfer from St Andrews to win the
Boys' title since Lachlan Carver in 1960.
After losing to Peebles’ Craig Howie
last year, he fell just short again, but could still draw the positives.
After all, he has already reached the South African Amateur semi-finals
and won his category at the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final
in China this year, so Monifieth represents more success.
“Bradley hit some awesome iron shots,”
said Ewan, coached by Steve North. “You can call it a fluke on the 6th,
but it was a quality golf shot. Once it hit the green it was nowhere
else, so fair play to him.
“It’s more world ranking points and a good start to the Boys’ Order of Merit for me, so it’s still a good week.”
Neil, who is coached by Kevin Hale,
made a fast start, clipping a wedge into 10 feet at the opening hole and
making birdie. But his errant approach to the next bounced out of
bounds and it was quickly back to all square.
Scott’s bogey at the 4th allowed his
opponent to lead again, before Neil failed to make par from the
greenside bunker on the 5th. The pair traded birdies at the 6th and 7th
and also both birdied the 8th, before it stayed all square through
10 holes as the pair fought an engrossing, tight match.
Scott’s bogey at the 11th again gave
Neil the lead and the Perthshire player’s birdie at the 13th saw him
take a two-hole lead for the first time.
But Scott has shown great resolve this
week and again dug deep to quickly fight back with a birdie 2 at the
short 14th. He remained one down at the 18th, where he was bunkered in
two, with Neil already well-placed for a birdie 4.
Before the SGU TV cameras, in
association with We Film Golf, Scott splashed out and the ball dropped
in the hole for a brilliant eagle to square the match at lunch.
“It was a little bonus for me and I guess it might have been nice to have kept going rather than stop,” said Scott.
In perfect conditions for golf, both
players probably would have been disappointed to ‘only’ shoot
two-under-par 69’s in the morning, but it was still a superb match to
watch nonetheless.
The afternoon session began
cautiously, but came to life in remarkable fashion at the short par-3
23rd. Neil rolled home a birdie 2 from 15 feet, before taking the match
by the scruff of the neck at the next. From 129 yards, his brilliant,
curling 8-iron approach shot found the green and rolled into the hole
for a superb eagle 2.
Scott reduced arrears after driving
the green at the short par-4 26th, with Neil unable to match his birdie.
However, a birdie at the 28th restored Neil’s two-hole advantage. Scott
had chances to come back but was unable to take them, before
he conceded Neil’s birdie at the 34th.
“We’ve got such a great friendship myself and Ewan and the way we played today was very nice,” added Bradley.
Monifieth, which staged the Scottish boys’
match-play championship for the first time, was in first-class condition and the
weather on the final day proved a fitting stage for the showpiece.
Labels: Boys
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, April 06, 2013
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