Stuart Ballingall, twice a winner in America,

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is now the sixth best Scot in R&A WAGR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Anglo-Scot Stuart Ballingall, a freshman student at Missouri University, has made a spectacular leap of 131 places to No 281 in the updated R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings this week.
Scottish boy international Ballingall, pictured, whose family home is in Norwich, is hardly a household name in Scottish amateur golf but he is now the sixth highest ranked Scot after James Byrne (35), Ross Kellett (43), Michael Stewart (181), Glenn Campbell (266) and Mark Hillson (280).
In fact, on Golfweek's current US college golf rankings, Michael Stewart is No 135, Stuart Ballingall No 143 and James Byrne No 227.
His surge up through the world rankings has been brought about by an excellent first year on the American college golf circuit. He won the first event he played in last autumn and has been the outstanding player on the Missouri University team throughout the 2009-2010 season.
Ballingall has won again in America, taking the University of Arkansas-Little Rock/First Tee Classic with three brilliant rounds of 69, 63 (a course record) and 69 for a 15-under-par total of 201 over a long course of some 7,221yd.
Stuart is not the first Scot to improve out of all recognition as a golfer in America - Andrew McArthur, comparatively unknown when he went to a US college in the late 1990s, came home to win the Scottish amateur title at Western Gailes in 2002 and is now a tour pro.
Ballingall, only 5ft 7in without his golf shoes on, may need another two or three years' exposure to the high level of competition on the American university golf circuit to be bracketed with McArthur, but Stuart is definitely one to look out for on the domestic amateur circuit when he comes home for the summer holidays.
Matteo Manassero (Italy) remains No 1 in the R&A WAGR as his amateur career draws to a close - he will be turning pro for the forthcoming Italian Open. France's Victor Dubuisson has gone up from No 3 to No 2 with Canadian Nick Taylor going the other way.
Scottish open amateur stroke-play champion Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall), at No 6, is the only British player in the top 10. English compatriots Matt Haines (No 12) and Stiggy Hodgson (No 20) are the only British or Irish players in the top 20.
Scots in the top 500 are:
35 James Byrne (-4 places from last week).
43 Ross Kellett (+6).
181 Michael Stewart (-14).
266 Glenn Campbell (-5).
280 Mark Hillson (+28).
281 Stuart Ballingall (+131).
333 James White (-14).
365 Philip McLean (+75).
400 David Law (-7).