National success for Bruntsfield Links member

       

               Picture of Eric McIntosh with the championship trophy by courtesy of  Kenny Smith

Eric McIntosh wins Scottish U18 boys' 

championship final 2 and 1 at Murcar Links

REPORT BY ED HODGE
Scottish Golf PR and Media Manager

Bruntsfrield Links’ Eric McIntosh achieved his biggest victory in the junior ranks after producing a dominant display to win the Scottish U18 boys' amateur championship at Murcar Links today.

The 17-year-old claimed a 2 and 1 success over Lewis Irvine from Kirkhill to take the trophy back to the Lothians for the first time since GB and I Walker Cup player Grant Forrest triumphed in the matchplay event in 2010. 

McIntosh was behind early in the 36-hole showdown, but after moving one ahead at the seventh he was always ahead before closing out a keenly contested tussle with a 15-feet birdie putt on the 35th, moments after Irvine had almost chipped in.

On a difficult day for scoring in the north east, with blustery and damp conditions notably in the morning round, McIntosh produced five birdies in the afternoon of the 36-hole final to add his name to the Scottish Boys’ roll of honour that includes Andrew Coltart, Scott Henry and David Law.

Law was among those watching the final and McIntosh, a member of the Scottish Golf Academy along with Irvine, said: “It feels amazing, I did not expect to be sitting here with the trophy this week. It was a very tight match but I holed a lot of putts at crucial times which kept me a nice two-up cushion and it was great to sink the putt to win it, what a feeling.”

After a host of surprise results at Scottish Golf’s flagship boys’ event, where 234 players competed representing 129 clubs, scratch player McIntosh stood firm to emerge victorious and add to his two junior titles at Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, while he is also part of a strong junior section at Murrayfield.

McIntosh, who played cricket for Scotland at Under-15 level, added: “It’s a long week, coming through eight ties to win, and a highlight was beating Jamie Stewart, the third seed, in the fifth round. This is definitely the biggest success of my junior career. 
"I guess I’ve had quite a low-key career as an amateur, but my coach David Patrick has really brought my golf along in the last two years so that has definitely helped. I’d love to go on now and win the Scottish Boys Order of Merit, that would be amazing.”

Irvine, 16, was bidding to become the first Lanarkshire player to win the prize since Steven O’Hara won at Murcar in 1998 and the omens looked good for him when he raced into a two-hole lead after three holes thanks to back-back McIntosh bogeys.

But Irvine’s run of four bogeys from the fourth and a birdie two from McIntosh at the eighth turned the match around, as the Lothians man secured his own two-hole advantage.

A concession from McIntosh at the 10th reduced Irvine’s arrears, but after a run of halved holes in par the Kirkhill player sliced his tee shot for a lost ball at the short 16th to again fall two behind. Irvine then missed from four feet for birdie at 18, to leave McIntosh to enjoy his lunch two ahead.

A bogey at the 21st lost McIntosh the hole, but he holed a superb 45 feet putt at the 24th to restore his lead. A birdie at the 29th increased his advantage to three, but Irvine launched a fighting comeback that was only denied by excellent birdie putts from McIntosh at the 33rd and 35th.

Irvine, who plays off a two handicap, said: “I’m happy with the week, especially in the final, I struck the ball well and got the putter going a wee bit. The only difference was Eric got two or three longer putts in the final round and that is your 2 and 1 margin.
" I thought I was getting him down the 36th but when he holes a putt like that you can only really applaud him, there is not much you can do about.
" I’ve still got two years at this tournament so you never know what will happen in the coming years. I’ll look to play all the Boys Order of Merit tournaments this year and try to keep my name up there.”

 View final scores from the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship

 
FRIDAY SUMMARY FROM ED HODGE
Scottish Golf PR and Media Manager
Kirkhill’s Lewis Irvine and Eric McIntosh from Bruntsfield Links will today (Saturday 9 April) contest the final of the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship, seeking to cap their impressive displays at Murcar Links by lifting the coveted trophy.
From a field of 234 players, representing 129 clubs, the Scottish Golf Academy pair have battled to the final showdown in the 75th staging of the Scottish Boys, aiming to emulate a list of past champions who include Andrew Coltart, Scott Henry and David Law, as well as GB and I Walker Cup players Grant Forrest and Ewen Ferguson.
McIntosh is aiming to become the first player to take the title back to the Lothians since Forrest in 2010, while Steven O’Hara was the last Lanarkshire player to win the prize in 1998.

  View scores from the Scottish Boys

After a host of surprise results at Scottish Golf’s flagship boys’ event on Thursday, the theme continued yesterday when Deeside’s Michael Lawrie, son of former Open champion Paul, saw his hopes ended in a one-hole defeat by John Paterson (New Club St Andd rews) in the quarter-finals.
But Irvine, who had earlier beaten Royal Aberdeen’s Craig Leith 3 an2, then accounted for the scalp of Paterson, winning by two holes, as the three-time Kirkhill junior champion booked his final spot.
The Lanarkshire club have a proud junior history and have helped develop Challenge Tour player Paul Shields, twice a Scottish Boys runner-up, and this year’s South African Amateur champion Craig Ross.
“I’ve played quite a bit with Craig,” said Lewis, 16, whose brother, Ross, was in the Scottish rowing team. “I actually played with him last week and he was giving me advice for this week. I played for Scotland at the Quads event in Northern Ireland last week and I’m quite surprised I’m still feeling fresh.”
The two-handicapper, whose semi-final win was highlighted by an eagle 2 at the 330-yard par-4 11^th when he drove to six feet, added: “Winning this event would be my biggest achievement in the game.”
Meantime, McIntosh came through 4 and 3 against Elgin’s Andrew Moir in the last-eight to end the north east interest and faced Bellshill’s Dylan Burt, conqueror of Cameron Gallagher (Longniddry) in the quarter-finals 6 and 5.
The 17-year-old scratch player, who reached the last-16 last year, lost the first hole to a birdie but his chip in at the fifth proved a “turning point” as he established a lead that Burt was unable to reel in.
“I’ve done better than I expected and I’ve been helped by a lot of seeds going out,” modestly said McIntosh, twice a junior champion at Bruntsfield Links and also a member at Murrayfield.
Earlier, Lawrie looked in control against Paterson when he was two up with five to play, but he found an unfortunate lie in a greenside bunker at 14, pushed a tee shot at the short 16^th and then snap-hooked to lose his ball at the next to allow his opponent to prevail at the last.