EWEN FIRST DUNBARTONSHIRE BOY TO WIN TITLE SINCE 2005

Ferguson crowned Scottish boys' champion at 

windy W Kilbride: 6 and 5 win over Kinsley

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Bearsden’s Ewen Ferguson today tamed the wild winds of West Kilbride to add the Scottish Boys Championship to his British Boys crown.
Becoming the first player since Steven O’Hara in 1998 to hold the two titles at the same time, the 17-year-old top seed claimed a 6 and 5 success against his fellow Boys international team-mate Ben Kinsley in the SGU’s flagship under-18 event.
Ferguson took control over the first 18 holes. He was four up at lunchtime.
Ferguson, who became the first Scot in almost 10 years to win the Boys’ Amateur title at Hoylake last year, was never behind in match that featured a trio of chip-in’s as he dashed third seed Kinsley’s hopes of becoming the first St Andrews player to win the title since 1960.
In becoming the first amateur from the Bearsden club to win the prestigious Boys’ crown, Ferguson joins a roll of honour that includes O’Hara, Andrew Coltart and Scott Henry. Michael Stewart, the 2008 winner, was among the 100-strong crowd watching the Ayrshire action.
Having come through the gruelling nine-round event, Ferguson – coached by Gregor Monks – was heading to Bearsden GC for celebrations tonight after simply refusing to be blown off course by winds that gusted to over 20 mph today.
Ferguson, who was taken to the 18th in his first round match but then never looked back all week, said: “It was so hard in the wind, but my short game was good when it had to be. “I’m delighted to win. I’ve always been there or thereabouts since I played in the Under-14s, but never really won anything. I made the quarter-finals of the Boys and the Scottish Amateur last year, so it’s nice to get over the line in this one. There has been pressure on me this week as the top seed and I’m pleased I handled it.”
In blustery, wet conditions, the final began in the worst weather of the week. Still, the pair battled well and made birdies on the second to illustrate their abilities.
However, bogeys from Kinsley at the sixth and ninth saw Ferguson take a two-hole lead at the turn, with the Bearsden boy battling to one-over-par for the opening nine holes.
As the skies brightened, even though the wind continued to gust, Kinsley regrouped and made a birdie on the 11th after Ferguson found trouble in the sand.
At the next, he had pulled level, brilliantly chipping in from over a bunker at the short 12th. Ferguson, though, hit back in some style as the final ebbed and flowed.
At the 13th, with both players close, it was Ferguson who made birdie before he emulated Kinsley’s chip in with his own holed shot at the 14th – brilliantly finding the cup from 20 yards for an eagle two to restore his two-hole lead.
More magic from Ferguson followed at the 16th, when he played a brilliant 55-yard approach shot from a bunker. Kinsley was close with his fine second shot too, but he missed from 10 feet and Ferguson holed from six feet to go three ahead, his third birdie in four holes.
A win for Kinsley at the 18th before lunch would have been a huge confidence booster, and he looked in pole position to do it after Ferguson was unable to reach the green in two.
However, Ferguson eyed up his greenside chip and promptly knocked it in to the delight of his Bearsden followers. Kinsley was unable to match the birdie from eight feet to allow Ferguson, four under for his last six holes, to go four up.
“I struggled a wee bit in the wind and my putter was cold,” admitted Kinsley, also playing in his first Boys final. “The 10 feet putts that I’d holed all week missed today. They were the difference to being all square at lunch and four down.”
As the sun finally peered out for the restart, Kinsley bogeyed the 19th to quickly go five down before rescuing one back thanks to Ferguson’s bogey six at the long 21st.
But Kinsley went long at the 23rd and Ferguson pounced to restore the five-hole lead he never really looked like losing. Indeed, he went six up at the 26th after Kinsley made a double bogey into the teeth of the wind.
There was a mere blip at the 28th when Ferguson’s tricky chip, standing in a bunker with the ball above his feet, hopped out of bounds over the boundary fence, only for the end to come with Kinsley’s bogey at the 31st.
“I’m a little disappointed with the way I played in the final, but it’s been a good week,” added Kinsley. “Congratulations to Ewen.”
Ferguson is the first Dumbartonshire player to win the knockout Boys’ title since Cardross’ Scott Henry won at Murcar in 2005.
As well as the finalists, it was a special day for Lanarkshire’s Allan Wilson, a member of the SGU Championship Committee, who refereed the first 18 holes on the day of his 65th birthday.
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Photos: Kenny Smith Photography; Videos: We Film Golf