DUNDEE PUPIL WINS ALFRED DUNHILL SCHOOLS GOLF CHALLENGE

NEWS RELEASE

Scott Swayne, a 16 year old student at St John's RC High School in Dundee, has won the overall scratch prize at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge, over the Kittocks Course at The Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews.

This year’s tournament once again saw a strong field of young golfers from across Fife, Dundee and Angus competing for honours in the annual schools event.

 

Playing off a six handicap, Scott shot a 76 to record an overall net score of 70 at the event. The S5 pupil, who has played golf for eight years, is a member of Downfield Golf Club and represented Angus County in two match play events earlier this year. Speaking about his future plans with golf, Scott said: “I’ll see how my game develops over the next couple of years but I would certainly like to continue to pursue golf longer term. I would love to go to the US on scholarship if that opportunity came up.”

 

Other winners of this year’s competition included 15 year old Buckhaven High School pupil Steven McLelland won the Senior Boys category on a round of 80 to card a net score of 67 on a handicap of 13. The S4 pupil who lives in Leven Links and has played the sport for only two years.

 

Angus-based Kirsty Brodie followed up last year’s victory in the Junior Girls competition by winning the Senior Girls category. Kirsty, a pupil at Webster High School in Kirriemuir, recorded a net score of 73. A five handicap golfer, she has played the sport since the age of four and has represented Scotland Under 16s at the R&A Junior Open.

   

Meanwhile Cameron Akers, an S2 pupil at Cupar’s Bell Baxter High School, won the Junior Boys category witha net score of 68 and Evana Hynd, an S2 pupil at Glenrothes High School, took the Junior Girls title with a net score of 76.

 

The winners will be invited to receive their Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge prizes at The Old Course, St Andrews on the final day of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, October 4. All the participants will also be invited, together with their parents and a school representative, to attend an exclusive golf clinic on the Championship practice ground given by the internationally renowned golf coach Robert Baker.

 

Baker said: “The Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge is a fantastic tournament, encouraging young people from Fife and the surrounding area to participate in competitive golf. Once again this event was fully subscribed which indicates the health of the game amongst school-aged players in the community. I congratulate all of today’s competitors and look forward to meeting these talented youngsters at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to work with them in our annual coaching clinic. Getting the right direction and coaching early enough in their golf career can really help young golfers develop their game and potentially enable them to compete at the highest level.”

 

2015 marks the 15^th year of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the European Tour and a celebration of links golf played, played, 1 – 4 October, over three magnificent Scottish links courses - The Old Course, St Andrews; Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

 

In recent years Bill Murray, Damien Lewis, Jamie Dornan, Hugh Grant and Andy Garcia have shared the fairways with sporting greats like Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Ian Botham, Michael Phelps, Luis Figo, and Jamie Redknapp. They have partnered some of the world's top golfers including Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, and Padraig Harrington.

 

Admission is free for all spectators over the first three days, at all three courses, with final day tickets on Sunday, October 4 available to purchase at the entrance gates in St Andrews or in advance at http://bit.ly/1RvYset