BRITISH BOYS UPDATE
PRESSURE? WHAT PRESSURE? SAYS FINDLAY
AFTER 21ST HOLE ESCAPE IN FIRST ROUND
Unflappable Jordan Findlay produced “one of the best up and downs” of his golfing life,” to squeeze through at the 21st hole of his first-round tie in the British boys’ amateur golf championship at cold and windy Balgownie today.
Findlay, winner of the title two years ago at the age of 16 and beaten in the final 12 months ago, extended his record to an amazing 16 wins out of 17 ties in this Under-18s championship since 2004 by eventually shaking off the challenge of Thomas Speyer (West Herts).
Jordan had to get up at 5.30am to get to the Royal Aberdeen links from his home, 40 miles due north in Fraserburgh but it was not until late in the regulation round that he showed signs of falling asleep on the job.
Two up with four to play, Findlay was in bunkers to lose the 15th and 18th.
But if Speyer thought Jordan just needed a little push to fall over, he was in for a rude awakening himself.
Jordan almost holed a 25-footer for a birdie in halving the 19th in par 4 and then he sank a critical seven-footer for a half at the 20th. If there was a pressure putt, that was it.
Then at the short 21st, Findlay was through the back of the green while Speyer missed the target left. Findlay, 25yd from the stick, then played an exquisite pitch to within a yard of the hole and Speyer could not match his opponent’s par 3.
“No, I don’t feel under any great pressure to do as well as I have done in the two previous British boys’ championships. If you win, you win, if you lose, you lose,” said Findlay, with a laid-back approach that perhaps explains why he is so hard to beat in this championship. Of course, he cares as much as anyone about winning or losing. But he just doesn’t get worked up before, during or after any tie.
While Findlay got his 2006 title campaign off and running, several of his colleagues from the victorious Scotland team in last week’s boys’ home internationals at Lossiemouth made a very early exit.
Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) and James Byrne (Banchory), whose 5 1/2pt out of six records made them the top performers out of all four countries last week, were both beaten on a local course where they were expected to go far this week.
Kirton said he felt “absolutely shattered” – and that was BEFORE the championship. A couple of days to recharge his batteries, he felt, were not enough.
Byrne lost the silky putting touch that highlighted his play in the internationals and he too felt very tired.
In contrast, Findlay, who also played six ties in three days last week, felt ready to go round again. “That’s why I spend so much of the winter in the gymnasium at East Tennessee State University. You need to build up your stamina so that you can play a lot of golf without getting tired,” he said.
Byrne went down by 2 and 1 to Matt Kippen (Enmore Park).
“I putted terribly – and Matt putted like a dream. That was the big difference,” said James.
Kirton went down by 5 and 3 to Jack Hiscock (Marlborough), slipping two behind after four holes and never really recovering from that. It just wasn’t Lewis’s day … he had to concede the fourth when his second shot hit his golf bag.
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), another member of Scotland’s victorious team, went down by two holes to Tom Hayes (West Byfleet) but Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw), Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and James White (Lundin) all advanced.
Scottish Under-18 boys’ stroke-play champion McAllister, two up at the turn, absorbed a birdie-birdie thrust from Miro Veijalainen (Finland) at the 11th and 12th to win by 2 and 1 with a birdie at the 15th and a winning par at the 16th. .
“It wasn’t easy out there. The wind made some of the holes quite tough,” said McAllister who was roughly a couple over par at the finish.
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White (Lundin) was a 4 and 2 winner over Tom Hesketh (Oakdale).
Neil Howitt (Nairn Dunbar), playing in the first tie at 7am, won through at the 20th against Nicklas Kaivola (Finland).
Other Scots winners included Daniel Torrance (Sunningdale), Ross Leeds (Muckhart) and Michael Dailly (Erskine).
+Several competitors, who had to come through Heathrow Airport, are playing with clubs they have managed to borrow since their arrival in Aberdeen. Their own clubs have not yet made it through the enhanced security checks in London.
Results:
FIRST ROUND
N Howitt (Nairn Dunbar) bt N Kaivola (Finland) at 20th, V Dubuisson (Fra) bt J Sant (Ladbrook Park) 1 hole, J Vickery (Newport) bt J Clarke R Ricordeau (Fra) 2 and 1, M Frost (Perton Park) bt D Lokke (Den) 3 and 2, B Fowles (Wentworth) bt K Benz (Swi) 4 and 2, C Doveill (Stoneleigh) bt K Harper (Carnoustie) at 19th, A Best (Cleveland) bt R Enoch (Truro) 3 and 1, R Leeds (Muckhart) bt A Andrews (Ashton in Makerfield) 4 and 3.
G McGrane (Royal Dublin) bt A Kippen (Enmore Park) 2 and 1, S Garcia (Spa) bt J Hugues (Bel) 7 and 6, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) bt T Speyer (West Herts) at 21st, T Hayes (West Byfleet) bt C Gray (West Kilbride) 2 holes, S McAllister (Craigielaw) bt M Veijalainen (Fin) 2 and 1, J Kennegard (Swe) bt D Shevill (Prudhoe) 7 and 6, M Kippen (Enmore Park) bt J Byrne (Banchory) 2 and 1, J Denwood (Eden) bt E Brown (Barassie) 1 hole.
S Haeder (Ger) bt M Bookless (Sandyhills) 20th, J Maw (Abbeydale) bt R Carson (Dalmahoy) 5 and 4, J Hiscock (Marlborough) bt L Kirton (Newsmachar) 5 and 3, D Smith (Parkstone) bt R Ricordeau (Fra) 2 and 1, T Weiler (Ger) bt E Pepperell (Frilford Heath) 3 and 2, D Housman (Bungay) bt A Hogan (Ire) at 19th, S Nicholls (Shaw Hill) bt A Aguilera (Spa) 3 and 1, M Nixon (Ashton under Lyne) bt S Doherty (Malone) 3 and 2.
J White (Lundin) bt T Hesketh (Oakdale) 4 and 2, R Kellett (Colville Park) bt J Walker (Lancaster) 3 and 2, D Torrance (Wentworth) bt J Patterson (Royal Portrush) 4 and 2, M Dailly (Erskine) bt R Wattel (Fra) at 20th, S Hodgson (Sunningdale) bt L Brace (Stoke by Nayland 2 and 1, P O’Kane (Moyola Park) bt L Bjerrregaard (Den) 4 and 2, J Shufflebotham (Prestatyn) bt M Williams (Formby Hall) 2 holes, M Dobias (Switzerland) bt J Smart (Hallamshire) 2 holes,
C Terragni (Italy) bt A Koskilahti (Fin) at 19th, L Scotto (Ita) bt J Curry (Prudhoe) 3 and 2, T Higson (Eyemouth) bt F Cabrera (Spa) 3 and 1, M G Castro (Spa) bt R Komulainen (Fin) 4 and 2, A Runcie (Abergele) bt N McCarthy (Moortown) 1 hole, A Johnson (North Middlesex) bt C Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 6 and 5, X Feyaerts (Bel) bt T Usher (Baildon) 4 and 3,
F Pintor (Spa) bt A Swainsbury (Chart Hills) 4 and 3, J Shepherd (Brokenhurst Manor) bt M Montgomery (Aus) 6 and 5, A Tangkamolprasert (Thai) bt A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 6 and 5.
AFTER 21ST HOLE ESCAPE IN FIRST ROUND
Unflappable Jordan Findlay produced “one of the best up and downs” of his golfing life,” to squeeze through at the 21st hole of his first-round tie in the British boys’ amateur golf championship at cold and windy Balgownie today.
Findlay, winner of the title two years ago at the age of 16 and beaten in the final 12 months ago, extended his record to an amazing 16 wins out of 17 ties in this Under-18s championship since 2004 by eventually shaking off the challenge of Thomas Speyer (West Herts).
Jordan had to get up at 5.30am to get to the Royal Aberdeen links from his home, 40 miles due north in Fraserburgh but it was not until late in the regulation round that he showed signs of falling asleep on the job.
Two up with four to play, Findlay was in bunkers to lose the 15th and 18th.
But if Speyer thought Jordan just needed a little push to fall over, he was in for a rude awakening himself.
Jordan almost holed a 25-footer for a birdie in halving the 19th in par 4 and then he sank a critical seven-footer for a half at the 20th. If there was a pressure putt, that was it.
Then at the short 21st, Findlay was through the back of the green while Speyer missed the target left. Findlay, 25yd from the stick, then played an exquisite pitch to within a yard of the hole and Speyer could not match his opponent’s par 3.
“No, I don’t feel under any great pressure to do as well as I have done in the two previous British boys’ championships. If you win, you win, if you lose, you lose,” said Findlay, with a laid-back approach that perhaps explains why he is so hard to beat in this championship. Of course, he cares as much as anyone about winning or losing. But he just doesn’t get worked up before, during or after any tie.
While Findlay got his 2006 title campaign off and running, several of his colleagues from the victorious Scotland team in last week’s boys’ home internationals at Lossiemouth made a very early exit.
Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) and James Byrne (Banchory), whose 5 1/2pt out of six records made them the top performers out of all four countries last week, were both beaten on a local course where they were expected to go far this week.
Kirton said he felt “absolutely shattered” – and that was BEFORE the championship. A couple of days to recharge his batteries, he felt, were not enough.
Byrne lost the silky putting touch that highlighted his play in the internationals and he too felt very tired.
In contrast, Findlay, who also played six ties in three days last week, felt ready to go round again. “That’s why I spend so much of the winter in the gymnasium at East Tennessee State University. You need to build up your stamina so that you can play a lot of golf without getting tired,” he said.
Byrne went down by 2 and 1 to Matt Kippen (Enmore Park).
“I putted terribly – and Matt putted like a dream. That was the big difference,” said James.
Kirton went down by 5 and 3 to Jack Hiscock (Marlborough), slipping two behind after four holes and never really recovering from that. It just wasn’t Lewis’s day … he had to concede the fourth when his second shot hit his golf bag.
Cameron Gray (West Kilbride), another member of Scotland’s victorious team, went down by two holes to Tom Hayes (West Byfleet) but Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw), Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and James White (Lundin) all advanced.
Scottish Under-18 boys’ stroke-play champion McAllister, two up at the turn, absorbed a birdie-birdie thrust from Miro Veijalainen (Finland) at the 11th and 12th to win by 2 and 1 with a birdie at the 15th and a winning par at the 16th. .
“It wasn’t easy out there. The wind made some of the holes quite tough,” said McAllister who was roughly a couple over par at the finish.
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White (Lundin) was a 4 and 2 winner over Tom Hesketh (Oakdale).
Neil Howitt (Nairn Dunbar), playing in the first tie at 7am, won through at the 20th against Nicklas Kaivola (Finland).
Other Scots winners included Daniel Torrance (Sunningdale), Ross Leeds (Muckhart) and Michael Dailly (Erskine).
+Several competitors, who had to come through Heathrow Airport, are playing with clubs they have managed to borrow since their arrival in Aberdeen. Their own clubs have not yet made it through the enhanced security checks in London.
Results:
FIRST ROUND
N Howitt (Nairn Dunbar) bt N Kaivola (Finland) at 20th, V Dubuisson (Fra) bt J Sant (Ladbrook Park) 1 hole, J Vickery (Newport) bt J Clarke R Ricordeau (Fra) 2 and 1, M Frost (Perton Park) bt D Lokke (Den) 3 and 2, B Fowles (Wentworth) bt K Benz (Swi) 4 and 2, C Doveill (Stoneleigh) bt K Harper (Carnoustie) at 19th, A Best (Cleveland) bt R Enoch (Truro) 3 and 1, R Leeds (Muckhart) bt A Andrews (Ashton in Makerfield) 4 and 3.
G McGrane (Royal Dublin) bt A Kippen (Enmore Park) 2 and 1, S Garcia (Spa) bt J Hugues (Bel) 7 and 6, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) bt T Speyer (West Herts) at 21st, T Hayes (West Byfleet) bt C Gray (West Kilbride) 2 holes, S McAllister (Craigielaw) bt M Veijalainen (Fin) 2 and 1, J Kennegard (Swe) bt D Shevill (Prudhoe) 7 and 6, M Kippen (Enmore Park) bt J Byrne (Banchory) 2 and 1, J Denwood (Eden) bt E Brown (Barassie) 1 hole.
S Haeder (Ger) bt M Bookless (Sandyhills) 20th, J Maw (Abbeydale) bt R Carson (Dalmahoy) 5 and 4, J Hiscock (Marlborough) bt L Kirton (Newsmachar) 5 and 3, D Smith (Parkstone) bt R Ricordeau (Fra) 2 and 1, T Weiler (Ger) bt E Pepperell (Frilford Heath) 3 and 2, D Housman (Bungay) bt A Hogan (Ire) at 19th, S Nicholls (Shaw Hill) bt A Aguilera (Spa) 3 and 1, M Nixon (Ashton under Lyne) bt S Doherty (Malone) 3 and 2.
J White (Lundin) bt T Hesketh (Oakdale) 4 and 2, R Kellett (Colville Park) bt J Walker (Lancaster) 3 and 2, D Torrance (Wentworth) bt J Patterson (Royal Portrush) 4 and 2, M Dailly (Erskine) bt R Wattel (Fra) at 20th, S Hodgson (Sunningdale) bt L Brace (Stoke by Nayland 2 and 1, P O’Kane (Moyola Park) bt L Bjerrregaard (Den) 4 and 2, J Shufflebotham (Prestatyn) bt M Williams (Formby Hall) 2 holes, M Dobias (Switzerland) bt J Smart (Hallamshire) 2 holes,
C Terragni (Italy) bt A Koskilahti (Fin) at 19th, L Scotto (Ita) bt J Curry (Prudhoe) 3 and 2, T Higson (Eyemouth) bt F Cabrera (Spa) 3 and 1, M G Castro (Spa) bt R Komulainen (Fin) 4 and 2, A Runcie (Abergele) bt N McCarthy (Moortown) 1 hole, A Johnson (North Middlesex) bt C Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 6 and 5, X Feyaerts (Bel) bt T Usher (Baildon) 4 and 3,
F Pintor (Spa) bt A Swainsbury (Chart Hills) 4 and 3, J Shepherd (Brokenhurst Manor) bt M Montgomery (Aus) 6 and 5, A Tangkamolprasert (Thai) bt A Weir (Montrose Mercantile) 6 and 5.
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