Good Friday for John Paterson - winner of Scottish boys' open stroke play at Monifieth 

FROM SCOTTISH GOLF

St Andrews’ John Paterson, pictured above by Kenny Smith, produced the best round of the week to secure home glory in the Scottish boys’ open championship at Monifieth Links today.

Trailing Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) by five strokes going into the final 18 holes of the event, Paterson stormed through the field with a four-under-par 67  to pip Stewart  by two strokes, after his closing 74, and secure his biggest amateur win to date.

Paterson finished on one under par, with his final round highlighted by eagles at the first, after he drove the green, and a 60 feet putt at the eighth.

 The St Andrews New Club player even had the luxury of missing from six feet for an eagle at the last.

Stewart, last year’s Scottish Boys’ Order of Merit champion, was only one behind on the 18^th tee but his hopes of a birdie to tie were dashed when his tee shot landed on the fly in a fairway bunker.

“I just wanted to go and post a score and give them something to think about,” said 17-year-old Paterson, a sixth year pupil at Madras College in St Andrews.  “It would have been unfortunate after missing the putt on 18, I thought that would be costly, but I felt my putting was big key to my success this week.

“I’ve never had two eagles in a round before, so it was a good time to do it in the final round. It’s a great win and my mum, Fiona, was in tears so it means a lot to me and my family.”

After the new date for the event produced the highest number of entries in 12 years, Peebles’ Darren Howie finished third on two over, his hopes undone by a double bogey at the 12^th, with Eric McIntosh (Bruntsfield Links) completing a Scotland top four a stroke further back. Icelander Ingvar Magnusson, the first-round leader, finished in fifth spot.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS AT MONIFIETH
Par 284 (4x71) SSS 72 CSS 75 72 71 72
283 John Paterson (St Andrews New) 73 71 72 67.
285 Jamie Stewart (Old Ranfurly) 74 68 69 74.
286 Darren Howie (Peebles) 73 70 71 72
287 Eric McIntosh (Bruntsfield Links) 74 70 70 73

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS


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