VERY GOOD PERFORMANCE BY NEIL, FORREST AND ROBB

Scots finish ninth at Eisenhower Trophy 

in Japan after another 65 by Bradley Neil

 Left to right: Chris Robb (Meldrum House), Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), SGU Performance Manager Steve Paulding and Grant Forrest (Craigielaw).


NEWS RELEASE FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
The trio of Bradley Neil, Grant Forrest and Chris Robb today secured an impressive top-10 finish for Scotland at the World Amateur Team Championships in Japan.
The biennial 72-hole stroke-play tournament  is one of the most prestigious in amateur golf, with the Scots finishing in ninth place in the 67-team competition.
British Amateur champion Neil (Blairgowrie) continued his fine 2014 season by posting a superb closing seven-under-par 65. 
It was his second 65 of the tournament and featured nine birdies, with Meldrum House’s Robb, the Fairstone Scottish Amateur champion, adding a bogey-free 68 to take the team score to 30 under par.
"It was a fun couple of weeks," said Banchory-based Robb. My golf could have been better though; definitely felt we could have won."
The USA posted a winning best-two-from-three total  of 38 under par to retain their title, finishing two shots ahead of Canada. Spain, Sweden and Argentina came third, fourth and fifth respectively.
France, Australia and England tied for sixth spot on 32 under, with the Scots finishing ninth, ahead of the likes of Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Wales and South Africa.
Scotland, who won the event in Australia in 2008 but shared 44th spot in Turkey two years ago, can be pleased with their efforts, building on the European Nations Cup, won in March in Sotogrande.
Scottish Golf Academy member Neil finished in a share of 15th in the individual standings on 13 under par 273 (72-65-7-65), ahead of returning to Perthshire to compete for Europe in the forthcoming Junior Ryder Cup over his home course at Blairgowrie. 
Craigielaw’s Forrest, the St Andrews Links champion, tied for 46th individually on seven-under-par 279 (68-68-69-74), with Scottish champion Robb sharing 60th on five-under-par 281 (70-74-69-68). 
Three of the Banchory man's four rounds counted under the best two from three daily format; Forrest did likewise and, strangely enough, it was only Neil's two 65s that counted from his four rounds..
Scottish Golf Performance Manager Steve Paulding, who captained the team in Karuizawa, said: “The boys have played great as a team, each playing a significant part in getting a good top-10 finish.
“Our third day score (four under as a team), was always going to make it tough, but an 11 under total today was just what we needed. This team was right in the mix, putting Scottish golf back up where it should be.
“It’s on to Mexico in two years, with the work starting now on preparation for the next team.”
Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have both featured in winning Eisenhower Trophy sides in the past, while Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari, Rickie Fowler and Martin Kaymer have also competed. 
Notable recent individual winners include Joost Luiten (Netherlands, 2006) and Romain Wattel (France, 2010).
In 2018, the world amateur team championship will be played at Carton House in Ireland.
The Scotland Team is sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
For Chris Robb the future now lies in professional golf. He tackles Stage 1 of the European Tour Q School at Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire in a fornight.
"I'm still an amateur for the moment and looking forward to advancing to Stage 2 and then the Final School," he said.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 572 (Two courses, a par 72 and a par 71 were used: 4x72, 4x71)
534 UNITED STATES 136 133 127 137 (1st)
267 Denny McCarthy 68 68 67 64
270 Bryson DeChambeau 69 67 61 73
277 Beau Hussley 68 66 68 75 
536 CANADA        134 135 133 133 (2nd)
537 SPAIN              138 133 132 134 (3rd)
538 SWEDEN        134 135 131 138  (4th)
539 ARGENTINA 135 133 136 135  (5th)
540 FRANCE        140 134 135 131   (T6)
540 ENGLAND     136 135 137 132   (T6)
270 Ben Stow 67 67 68 68
273 Ryan Evans 72 68 69 64
282 Ashley Chesters 69 72 69 72
540 AUSTRALIA  137 136 132 135   (T6)
542 SCOTLAND   138 133 138 133   (9th) 
273 Bradley Neil 72 65 71 65
279 Grant Forrest 68 68 69 74
281 Chris Robb 70 74 69 68 
544 SWITZERLAND 133 135 140 135 (10th)
545 IRELAND            138 138 132 137 (11th)
273 Gavin Moynihan 69 70 64 70
275 Paul Dunne 70 70 68 67
281 Gary Hurley 69 68 74 70
546 GERMANY (12th)
548 BELGIUM, ITALY, DENMARK (T13)
549 CHINESE TAIPEI (16th)
550 MEXICO (17th)
551 SOUTH KOREA (18th)
554 CHILE, AUSTRIA (T19)
555 COLOMBIA (21st)
557 NEW ZEALAND, POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC (T22)
558 FINLAND, SINGAPORE, SLOVENIA, NORWAY (T25)
560 INDIA, JAPAN (T29)
561 PUERTO RICO, VENEZUELA (T31)
562 BRAZIL, THAILAND (T33)
564 PORTUGAL, MALAYSIA (T35)
564 WALES 138 145 136 145  (T35)
281 David Boote 70 73 65 73
286 Matthew Hearne 68 72 71 75
287 Rhys Pugh 70 73 72 72
565 CHINA (38)
567 HONG KONG, NETHERLANDS (T39)
570 SLOVAKIA (41st)
571 GUATEMALA (42nd)
573 SOUTH AFRICA (43rd)
575 COSTA RICA (44th)
579 BERMUDA (45th)
587 TURKEY (46th)
594 PHILIPPINES (47th)
595 URUGUAY, GUAM (T48th)
596 ITAN MALTA(T50th)
597 FIJI (52nd)
598 RUSSIA (53rd)
603 SERBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (T54th)
608 JAMAICA (56th)
611 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, ESTONIA (T57)
613 MAURITIUS (59th)
619 GREECE (60th)
623 BAHRAIN (61st)
627 QATAR (62nd)
657 GHANA (63rd)
673 UKRAINE (64th)
679 EL SALVADORE (65th)
684 GABON (66th)
730 KYRGYZSTAN (67th)


View final scores from the World Amateur Team Championships