Student from Annan making his mark in US college golf

Duncan McNeill 2nd, helps McNeese State win 
title at West Point, Mississippi

       Duncan McNeill, centre with trophy, and the winning McNeese State University team.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Duncan McNeill, from Annan, Ayrshire and a freshman student at McNeese State University, finished second in a field of 84 players at the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship at West Point, Mississippi today.
McNeill shot rounds of 73, 70 and 69 for a four-under-par total of 212, three behind the winner, Braden Thornberry (Ole Miss) who scored 71, 69 and 69 for seven-under 209.
The Scot might just about have won the individual title but for a triple bogey 7 at the fifth in his final round. McNeill covered his last 11 holes in a bogey-free, six-under-par romp. He birdied the eighth, ninth, 10th, 12th, 15th and 18th.
Consolation for Duncan was that his great effort helped McNeese State (866) win the team title ahead of Ole Miss (872), Lipscomb (875) and Georgia State (880) in a field of 16 teams.
Englishman J J Grey, Georgia State's star player, finished down the field in T17 position with scores of 76, 72 and 73 for 221.
Scot Lawrence Allan (SE Louisiana) was T41 on 226 with scores of 74, 76 and 76.

Last 16in Scottish U18 boys championship

 at Murcar Links: Thursday am l matches

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
(scroll down for the day's summary from the Scottish Golf website)
They're down to the last 32 in the Scottish Under-18 boys' match-play championship and here are the 16 ties at Murcar Links on Thursday morning:

FOURTH ROUND
8.00am Fintan McKenna (Royal Aberdeen) v Sandy Scott (Nairn) pictured right.
8.08 Brendan Murdoch (Craigie Hill) v Michael Lawrie (Deeside).

8.16 Matthew Watson (Beamish Park) v Cameron Dunn (Sandyhills).
8.24 Patrick Lawrence (Murrayfield) v John Paterson (St Andrews New).

8.32 Craig Leith (Royal Aberdeen) v Andrew Benson (West Lothian).
8.40 Brad Murray (Fraserburgh) v Ryan Morrison (Windlesham).

8.48 Brodie Good (Gullane) v Lewis Irvine (Kirkhill).
8.56 Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal) v Rowan Carey (Auchterarder).

9.04 Cameron Carnegie (Kemnay) v John Paul Ralph (Loretto School).
9.12 Andrew Moir (Elgin) v Conor O'Toole (Craigmillar Park)

9.20 Eric McIntosh (Bruntsfield Links) v Christian Barbour (Cupar)
9.28 Calvin Dufftown (Aboyne) v Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly)

9.36 William Squires (Kirkcudbright) v Cameron Gallagher (Longniddry).
9.44 Christopher Finnie (Lockerbie) v Alyx Murray (Troon Welbeck).

9.52 Dylan Burt (Bellshill) v Robb Hawthorn (Murrayfield)
10.00 am Rory Franssen (Inverness) v Ewen Wheat (Royal Montrose).

Top seed Sandy Scott (Nairn), who has a handicap of +3.1, made short work of Glen Burrett (Haggs Castle), reaching the fourth round  with a comprehensive 9 and 8 victory over the scratch player from Glasgow.
If Scott and Michael Lawrie (Deeside), pictured left, win their Thursday morning ties they will meet in the afternoon. Now that would be quite a match
But Scott and Lawrie's  opponents would have something to say along the lines of "don't count your chickens ...."

The North and North-east have a strong hand in the last 32, including Rory Franssen (Inverness), pictured right, a 6 and 5 winner against James Moran (Longniddry) and Andrew Moir (Elgin), recent winner of the North of Scotland boys championship.
Moir advance to the round of the last 32 with a one hole win against Callum Burns (Balmore).

VIEW TODAY'S RESULTS ON THE SCOTTISH

 GOLF WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

Scottish boys' championship: 

Wednesday summary

  A picture of concentration: Sandy Scott, the No 1 seed. Picture by Kenny Smith

 WEDNESDAY SUMMARY
By ED HODGE 
 Scottish Golf PR and Media Manager.
Seeds have tumbled, local interest remains strong and the most fancied players are still standing at the 75th staging of the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship at Murcar Links.
Nairn’s Sandy Scott proved he is the man to be beat at the event after living up to his top seed billing by almost achieving golf’s holy grail matchplay score.
The 17-year-old, installed as favourite after winning last year’s Boys Order of Merit and maintaining his form in 2016, faced a tricky third-round test – at least on paper – in the form of Scottish Golf Academy teammate Glen Burrett from Haggs Castle, a scratch player.

Jamie Stewart is into the last-32

But Scott, the lowest handicapper in the field at +3.1, wasted little time in dispatching the Glaswegian by the score of 9 and 8, falling just short of the biggest winning margin possible over 18 holes, 10 and 8.
> View Scottish Boys scores
Scott had a 12-foot birdie putt on the ninth that shaved the hole, otherwise he would have won all opening nine holes, before he finished the job at the 10^th.
“I made a few birdies and Glen struggled with his long game, going out of bounds twice,” said Scott (pictured), who wasn’t joined by his 12-year-old brother, Calum, in the last-32 after his narrow exit to Edzell’s Aidan Smith.
 “I expected a close game as Glen is a great wee player, was one of the best at Under-14 level, and I’ve known him for years. We are in the Scotland squad as well and I know how good he is, but you never know in matchplay.”
With other seeds tumbling on another poor weather day in the North-east, among them Marc Watt (Inverallochy), Matthew McCulloch from Portpatrick Dunskey and Muckhart’s Robert Watson, Scott will fancy his chances of adding the matchplay crown to the Boys’ strokeplay title he won last summer.
Should they both win their fourth-round ties on Thursday morning, Scott will face Michael Lawrie after the Deeside player, supported by dad, Paul, maintained his challenge with a 2 and1 win over Tom MacKenzie from East Renfrewshire. 
Scott must first overcome the challenge of another local lad, Royal Aberdeen’s Fintan McKenna, who has recorded three strong wins and not yet been taken beyond the 14^th hole.
McCulloch’s hopes were ended by John Paterson, from the St Andrews New club, after the Glaswegian raced to a four-hole lead before holding on to win 2 and 1. 
Paterson now faces Murrayfield’s Patrick Lawrence, who is enjoying his first Scottish Boys. The five-handicapper is fresh from helping his club to a second-placed finish at the Home Nations Inter-Club Championship in Spain. 
“I didn’t think I could go this far so it’s a great achievement and I’m enjoying the course and the challenge,” said Lawrence.
Another Lothians player, Brodie Good, the son of Gullane pro Alasdair, continued his quiet progress after winning at the 19^th against John Bisset of Pollok, while Andrew Benson, the West Lothian player, was a victor over Liam Waldron from Royal Aberdeen at the 18^th.
Late in the day, the third seed, Jamie Stewart from Old Course Ranfurly, marched on, beating Cameron Fraser from Oldmeldrum 6 and 5.
 “It’s probably the best I’ve played this week,” said Stewart. “It was tough in the conditions and it was par golf that was needed out there.”
The second seed, Rory Franssen, Inverness, then eased past James Morgan from Longniddry 6 and 5.
Images: Kenny Smith

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PGA EuroPro Tour Final Eliminator

Jack McDonald posts 71 on pro debut at Q School, same score as Paul McKechnie

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Ayrshire's Jack McDonald marked his professional debut with a one-under-par round of 71 as he and Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) led the Scottish chase for one of the top 30 places at the end of the 54-hole PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire.

McDonald, pictured right,  birdied the fifth, eighth and 17th, dropping shots at the first and 18th.
McKechnie, a winner on the EuroPro Tour in the past, birdied the first, third, fifth and 16th in halves of 34 and 37.
The two Scots are tied for 11th place, three behind the English leader Billy Downing (Truro) who had a 68

Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Paul Cormack (Bay Hill) got off to the best start of all the North-east players involved

Nicol shot a par 72, birdieing the ninth, 15th and 17th to be tied 21st in the field of 240

Aberdeen-born Cormack has played the American mini-tours for the last few years. He also had a 72, coming home in 33.

Cousins Craig and Sean Lawrie are walking a tightrope. Only the leading 80 and ties at the end of the second round will go forward to the final 18 holes.

Craig Lawrie is tied 88th with a 75 while Sean is tied 118th with a 76.

Louis Gaughan (Bathgate) is alongside Cormack and Nicol on the 72 mark  
 +Scroll down past the scores to view the official News Release from the PGA EuroPro Tour

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 72

68 B Downing (Truro)

69 N Kearney (Royal Dublin), J Maw (Rockliffe Hall), R Law (Low Laithes)

70 A Wright (unatt), P Newman (E Berkshir), B Spooner (Woodhall Spa), N McCarthy (Moortown), J Coyle (Burstwick), R James (Aberystwyth).

SCOTS SCORES

71 J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), P McKechnie (Braid Hills) (T11)
72 P Cormack (Bay Hill), L Gaughan (Bathgate), K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC) (T21)
74  J Henry (Clydebank and Dist), N Henderson (Renaissance Club), B Neil (unatt), P Robinson (Largs), W Booth (Comrie), K McAlpine (unatt) (T52)
75 R Campbell (Falkirk) (am), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) (T88)
76 J Steven (Clydeway Golf), J Hendrick (Pollok), S Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) (T118)
77 C Sutherland (Lynx Golf), M Patterson (Kilmacolm), C Baird (Bothwell Castle) (am) (T142)
78 J McGhee (Whitehill House), F Moore (Glenbervie), Z Saltman (Archerfield Links) (T166)
79 J Duff (Newmachar) (T196)
80 C O'Neil (Mearns Castle) (T211)
82 S Borrowman (Dollar), F McKenna (Balmore) (T224)  

 FINAL STAGE QUALIFYING: DAY ONE ROUND-UP
 News Release from Nick Teale
 

Billy Downing leads after the first round of Final Stage Qualifying School for the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The Truro Golf Club representative carded a -4, 68 for his opening round on the Blue Course at Frilford Heath Golf Club, where 240 golfers play one round on each the Red and Blue Courses at Frilford Heath on Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 before a cut to the leading 80 players and ties play a concluding 18 holes on the Blue Course on Friday, April 8.

Players are competing to earn the highest possible category on the 2016 HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour. All those who have progressed to Final Stage have already earned at least a category 14, with golfers making the Final Stage cut earning a minimum category 10 and the top 30 earning category 3.

Three players share third on -3 at the end of a where wind made scoring difficult. Niall Kearney (The Royal Dublin) carded a 69 on the Red Course, while James Maw (Rockliffe Hall) and Richard Law (Low Laithes Golf Club) both shot 69 around the Blue.

Downing reached -4 despite a bogey at the first on the Blue Course, largely thanks to eagles at the 8^th and 15^th. He also opened with a 68 the last time he played Final Stage Qualifying in 2014, although on that occasion he had played the Red Course first.

Former football Jimmy Bullard (Wisley Golf Club), who turned professional in golf after competing at Final Stage Qualifying for the Tour in 2013, shot a five-over-par 77 on the Red Course for a share of 142^nd.

A full list of exemption categories can be found at www.europrotour.com/about/categories.

David Law wins Sotogrande Masters by six
 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Aberdeen's David Law outclassed the field to win the MENA Tour's inaugural Sotogrande Masters by six strokes with a seven-under-par total of 209 at La Reserva Golf Club on Spain's Costa del Sol today.
The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player had rounds of 74, 67 and 68 over a course that proved too tough for the majority of his rivals.
Former Northern Open and twice Scottish amateur champion, Law, whose victory was worth US $9,000, dropped his only shot of the day at the sixth and then covered the rest of the holes in five under par with birdies at the long seventh, the ninth, the 12th, the long 15th and the 18th in halves of 35 and 33.
Said and elated Law in an E-mal to Scottishgolfview.com:
 "I've won in Morocco, Spain, Scotland and Turkey I think and its a great feeling to win in a foreign country. It was fantastic to win today and to expand my lead from twp at the start of the day to six is what pleased me the most. I've had two runner-up finishes (in 2013) on the MENA tour so to get a maiden victory means a lot. 

“My game plan at Sotogrande was to stay in the moment and focus on what I needed to; that’s to make birdies,” said Law after receiving the winner’s trophy and a cheque of US$9,000 from Spain’s Manuel Pinero, a nine-time winner on the European Tour.

“Basically, I tried to play golf the way I did on the first two days. Sotogrande is a tough golf course from tee to green, but I am very happy with my golf. I putted well and took opportunities that came my way,” said Law, the third Scot to win on the MENA after Paul Doherty and Clarke Lutton, like Law an Aberdonian.   

“The tour is travelling to new places which is fantastic. We are lucky to play on this course which is by far one of the best in Spain,” said the Scot who also equals the largest winning margin record on the MENA (Middle East North Africa) Tour, recorded by England’s Ross McGowan (England) at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open.

Distant runner-up was England's Zane Scotland who shot 76, 70 and 69 for a total of one-under-par 215. He was the only other player in the field to finish the 54 holes with a sub-par aggregate.
Grantown on Spey's Duncan Stewart, now based in Edinburgh and playing out of Turnhouse Golf Club, had a sad last round of four-over 76 after earlier scores of 71 and 73.
His four-over 220 total saw him tumble down the leaderboard to finish in 13th place. Stewart had a double bogey 6 at the ninth and also dropped shots at four other holes. He did have two birdies, at the fourth and 16th.
Ross Kellett tied for 29th place with improving scores of 77,75 and 73 for 225. He birdied the seventh, eighth and 18th in his final round.
 SOTOGRANDE MASTERS
Leading Final Totals
par 216 (3x72)
209 D Law (Sco) 74 67 68
215 Z Scotland (Eng) 76 70 69
216 V Bertran (Spa) 72 78 66, R Sanjust (Ita) 72 73 71
217 T Lawrence (SAf) 77 70 70, M Quiros (Spa) 76 71 70
218 J Gallegos (Spa) 71 74 73, A Marshall (Eng) 73 74 71, M Tullo (Chile) 71 77 70, A Andersson (Swe) 75 72 71
219 G Moynihan (Ire) 70 74 75, M Decottignies-Lafon (Fra) 70 73 76.
220 D Stewart (Sco) 71 73 76. 

SELECTED SCORE
225 R Kellett (Sco) 77 75 73 (T29)

Long driving competition April 7 and 8 at Fairmont St Andrews.

Link to all the details

CLICK HERE

Stuart Easton T25 finish in big field for 

Wyoming Cowboy Classic

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Stuart Easton (Western Kentucky University), pictured, a freshman from Irvine, Ayrshire, finished T25 in a feld of 109 players at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic college tournament at Whirlwind Golf Club, Chandler, Arizona yesterday.
Stuart had scores of 71, 69 and 76 for a level par total of 216 - 11 shots behind the joint winners Brandon Bewman (UC Santa Barbara) (67-70-68 for 11-under 205) and Jake McCrory sam Houston State) (66-68-71).
Western Kentucky finished tied fifth on 802 in the team event won by Colorado (843) from Sam Houston State (851) and Wyoming (852) and William and Mary University (861). Sixteen teams took part. 
+More US college golf news on www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk inclding how Stirling GC member Nicola Robertson made the top 20 alongwith other British students, Elizabeth Swallow and Samantha Taylor in the Agnes McAmis Invitational.