Banchory's Sam Locke wins NE District

U18s match-play final v Marc Watt

 You don't often see camera-shy North-East District SGU secretary George Young in the picture but here he is presenting the Paul Lawrie NE District U18s match-play trophy to Sam Locke. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

  By COLIN FARQUHARSON 

Banchory's Sam Locke, 16-year-old son of Paul Lawrie's swing coach, foiled the bid by 15-year-old Marc Watt (Inverallochy) to add the Paul Lawrie NE District U18s match-play title to the stroke-play title he won, also at Deeside, on Thursday.

Locke beat Watt by one hole in the final, leading for the first time with a par 4 at the 18th hole after Watt drove into trees and took three shots to reach the edge of the green.

Watt had been square or one up for the first 17 holes but could not shake off his dogged opponent .

Locke was one down with four to play but squared the contest with a 4 at the 15th and then took the 18th and the title with a par 4 to Watt's bogey 5.

It was a quality conest with the winner round in one-under-par 69 to Watt's 70. They had both been out in 35 and all square, Locke having birdied the sixth and ninth, Watt birdieing the short fifth 

Watt birdied the long 13th to go ahead for the third time in the match but he never got to two up at any stage. 

Sam's father Andrew Locke told me after the prizegiving that he lost in the 1989 final of the same tournament after winning the Under-18s stroke-play title the day before.

He recalls that Hamish Love, now the pro at Oldmeldrum GC,  was the player who ended his double bid.

"I don't want to make excuses some 26 years after that final at Turriff but I was feeling awful that day due to sickness and diarrhoea," said Andrew. "I remember that you were at the final!"
Which is more than I do.
Stonehaven-based Sam Locke gained reward for all the practice he puts in at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre where his dad is a resident coach. 

In this morning's semi-finals, Watt beat last year's stroke and match-play champion Steven Roger (Cruden Bay) by 4 and 3.
Locke beat Benjamin Henderson (Deeside) by 2 and 1.
Watt had five birdies to one by Roger and was out in 33 to 37 to be four up at the turn.
Locke was two at the turn in the other semi-final.

PAUL LAWRIE NE DISTRICT UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP

Deeside Golf Club

Semi-finals - M Watt (Inverallochy) bt S Roger (Cruden Bay) 4 and 3, S Locke (Banchory) bt B Henderson (Deeside) 2 and 1.

Final - Locke bt Watt 1 hole.

         
+CSS for yesterday's Paul Lawrie NE District Under-18s championship was 71 in round 1 and 70 in round 2