Carrick Neill Scottish men's open stroke-play championship

Marco Penge (17) wins in the wind at Lossie

NEWS RELEASE FROM SGU

On a blustery final afternoon over the Lossiemouth links at Moray, England’s Marco Penge refused to be blown off course to claim his biggest title in the game – the Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship. 

After taking advantage of the flat calm conditions of the morning’s third round to reach eight under par, Penge battled bravely in the final round as the wind whipped across the renowned Old Course.

With a host of leading names in the hunt for the title on a classy leaderboard, the 17-year-old showed great tenacity to keep them at bay – helped by a decisive eagle at the par-5 17^th – and close with a two-over-par 73 for a six under par winning total. 
Penge said later:

“I played in similar weather at the Irish Amateur, so I guess I’m used to it! I actually feel I like those conditions as it makes you battle and keep your head mentally.

“It’s my first win at Men’s amateur level, so I’m progressing.

“Playing in the Walker Cup was my goal at the start of the season so hopefully I have given the selectors something to think about.”

 

Glenbervie’s Graeme Robertson, in the provisional Walker Cup squad ahead of September’s clash with the US at Royal Lytham, finished as runner-up on five under after a brave bid, with another Walker Cup squad man, Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin, taking third spot a stroke further back.

Robertson, who posted a brilliant 66 in round three helped by a chip in for an eagle 2 at the 9^th, was bidding to become the first Scots winner since 2008 but came up just short. 

Penge – a former winner of the Fairhaven Trophy who will rise from his world amateur ranking of 280 – joins an impressive list of past champions. They include victorious Ryder Cup captains Bernard Gallacher and Colin Montgomerie, as well as current European Tour stars Stephen Gallacher, Richie Ramsay, Tommy Fleetwood and Andrew Sullivan.

Lucas Herbert, the top player in the field at world amateur ranked No. 20, had catapulted himself into the hunt after a new course record in the third round but had to settle for a tie for fourth overall on one over.

The Aussie fired a bogey -free six-under-par 65 for the new record after a series of recent course improvements to enhance the much-loved routing of the Old Course, which was first laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1889. 

Bearsden’s Ewen Ferguson, twice a domestic winner in 2015, was four strokes behind going into the final round, but his hopes drifted on the wind after a closing 76 as he shared fourth with Herbert, Switzerland’s Mathias Eggenberger and English pair Tom Sloman and Callum MacKay.

Welsh left-hander Owen Edwards, world-ranked 2,221, had also put up a brave fight during the opening 54 holes but struggled in the late afternoon conditions to finish with a 77.

Carrick Neill, part of the Arthur J. Gallagher group and the SGU’s official insurance partner, continue to provide their support to the championship.

 

> View final scores from the Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship