Stephanie Meadow scores first Symetra Tour 

victory after play-off in California

There was just as much drama on the back nine of Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon yesterday as there was at the Masters, and when the dust settled, Team Ireland-supported Stephanie Meadow, pictured below, was crowned the 2018 winner of the  Symetra Tour's IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort  and  Spa at Beaufort, California

The path to a first Symetra Tour victory for the Northern Ireland player wasn’t simple, however. After 36 holes, both Meadow and Carleigh Silvers (Martinsville, Indiana) were tied for the lead at 4-under par overall.

“I would’ve pretty much doubted it,” said Meadow, regarding how everything played out. “I thought if I was going to be in a playoff, I probably would have had to shoot 7-under to catch her. It happens, people have tough days on the last day and if you just stay steady, you never know what can happen.”

On the first sudden-death play-off hole (No. 18), Meadow drained a 40-foot putt to put the pressure squarely on Silvers, which proved to be the deciding factor. 

“To make it, and it was dead center, was pretty awesome,” Meadow said with a big smile on her face. “Honestly, I hadn’t made anything all week so for those two putts—No. 18 in regulation and then the playoff hole—to go in, was pretty special. I guess I was saving them up.”

Entering the final round, Meadow sat tied for fifth at 2-under par. She was seven shots back of 36-hole leader Jenny Haglund (Karlstad, Sweden), who limped to an 8-over par (80) finish, ending tied for seventh at 1-under. 

Meadow erased an early double bogey on No. 6 with two birdies to shoot even par going out. Then the back nine started tough with a bogey on No. 10, but she remained calm and found her way to birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 18. 

Two groups behind Meadow was Silvers who, for a brief moment this afternoon, took the outright lead at 4-under par thanks to a birdie on No. 16. From there, the two went back and forth. Meadow then tied Silvers at 4-under with her birdie on No. 18, just before Silvers snagged a one-stroke advantage back with a birdie on No. 17. However, her bogey on the final hole led to the playoff.

“She made her putt and that was awesome,” said Silvers. “She earned that, making that long birdie putt. That was pretty cool, so congratulations to her. I just wanted to give mine a chance and I did, it really looked pretty good until the last two feet.”

It is the first Symetra Tour win for Meadow, the former four-time All-American at the University of Alabama. The victory is also the first on the Symetra Tour for a woman from Northern Ireland. 

“It has been a long road for me so the hard work pays off,” Meadow said. “It just feels amazing right now.

Full Leaderboard HERE

Links to BUCS student finals at Woodhall Spa, April 15-17

CLICK HERE

Link to scores in Mediterranean Tour Final

 CLICK HERE

SCOT'S SCORE
76 Michael Stewart (T71)

Craig Lawrie recovers from sticky start 

in Algarve Pro Tour event

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Craig Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) was three over par after only two holes of the Algarve Pro Tour event, the 54-hole Obidos International Open today (Monday), having started with a bogey 5 and a double bogey 7, but he covered his remaining holes in one under par, with birdies at the sixth and 14th, to post a two-over 74 (40-34).

Lawrie, pictured, ended the day in joint 30th place in a field of 62 competitors.
Fellow Scots Ewen Ferguson and Daniel Young had scores of 75 and 76 respectively to be placed T44 and T55 overnight.
Portuguese player Rui Morris, Andrea Saracino(Italy) and Nicolas Aparico(France) share a one-stroke  lead on  four-under 68 from Belgium's Kevin Hesbois.
Bom Sucesso golf resort is north of Lisbon on Portugal's western coast.

OBIDOS INTERNATIONAL OPEN
Bom Sucesso Golf Resort, Algarve
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
par 72
68 R Morris  (Port), A Saracino (Ita), N Aparico (Fra).
69 K Hesbois (Belg)

SCOTS SCORES
74 C Lawrie (T30)
75 E Ferguson (T44)
76 D Young (T55)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

Mary McKenna Salver goes "home" to Ireland

 

 

Valerie Hassett with her winning Irish team and the Mary McKenna Salver

 

 

IRISH SENIOR LADIES BEAT SCOTTISH

VETS 10-2 IN BELFAST 

Ireland's senior women's team scored a 10-2 victory over their Scottish Veteran Ladies Golf Association counterparts in the annual Mary McKenna Salver match at Royal Belfast Golf Club.

The Irish squad thus regained the trophy won by the Scots at Murcar Links last year.

The Irish went 3pt ahead by taking the four-ball foursomes 3.5-0.5 and emphasised their superiority by taking the singles 6.5-1.5

Lorna McKinley (Midland) scored the Scots only victory, beating Laura Webb 4 and 2.

One other Scot had a day to remember - Frances Millar (Northern), pictured, who had a hole in one in halving her singles match against Helen Jones.

MARY McKenna SALVER MATCH

Royal Belfast Golf Club.

IRISH SENIOR WOMEN 10, SCOTTISH VETS 2

Results:

Four-ball foursomes (3.5-0-5)

Irish names first

Sheena McIlroy and Laura Webb  bt Sheena Wood (Northern) and Elaine Moffat (Midland) 2 and 1

Suzanne Corcoran and Gertie McMullen bt Gillian Kyle (West) and Lorna McKinley (Midland) 1 hole.

Catherine Reilly and Mary MacLaren halved with Fiona De Vries (Midland) and Lesley Lloyd (West).

Helen Jones and Margaret McAuliffe bt Frances Millar (Northern) and Jennifer Bryan (Midland) 2 and 1. 

Singles (6.5-1.5)

McMullen bt Lloyd 3 and 2.

Jones halved with Millar

McLaren bt Kyle 3 and 2

McAuliffe bt De Vries 2 holes.

McIlroy bt Wood 5 and 4.

Corcoran bt Moffat 1 hole.

Reilly bt Bryan 4 and 2

Webb lost to McKinley 4 and 2.

Amelia Jane Williamson wins Hampshire Rose 36-hole tournament

Leading scores in the Hampshire Rose 36-hole women's amateur tournament at North Hants Golf Club:

par 144 (2x72)

141 Amelia Jane Williamson (Royal Cromer) 70 71.
+winner is pictured on the right.

142 Katherine O'Connor (West Byfleet) 68 74'

143 Martha Lewis (St George's Hill) 72 71

145 Lily May Humphreys (Stoke by Nayland) 71 74

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

PGA IN SCOTLAND: CARNOUSTIE CHALLENGE TEE TIMES

Championship course: April 18
All teams start from Tee One
1   9:00   Darren Howie (am)
           Sean Fay, Carnoustie Golf Links
           Michael Lander, St Andrews Links Golf Academy

1   9:10   Hannah McCook (am)
           Michael Bradfield, Elie Links
           Stephen Wilson, Dundonald Links

1   9:20   Sam Craigon, Balbirnie Park Golf Club
           Ailsa Summers, Carnoustie (am)
           Scott Gillies, North Berwick Golf Club

1   9:30   Callum Beveridge, Gailes Golf and Leisure
           Iain McNab, Trump Turnberry Resort
           Richard McCrudden (a), Royal Portrush

1   9:40   Scott Grant, Scotscraig Golf Club
           Kirsty Brodie, Strathmore (am)
           Rory Tinker, Piperdam Golf and Leisure Resort

1   9:50   Gillian Paton, Royal Montrose (am)
           Charlene Reid, Royal Portrush Golf Club
           Andrew Todd, Panmure Golf Club

1   10:00  Graeme McDougall, Elie Links
           Samuel Binning, Mearns Castle Golf Academy
           Liam Brown, Royal St George's (am)

1   10:10  Cameron Farrell, Cardross Golf Club
           Ross Munro, Duddingston Golf Club
           Lewis Irvine (am)

1   10:20  Stuart Houlden, East Kilbride Golf Club
           Jackson Bell, Lanark Golf Club
           Jack Broun, Turnberry (am)

1   10:30  Thomas Higson, Gleneagles Hotel
           Rebecca Tully, Carnoustie Golf Links
           Shannon McWilliam, Aboyne (am)

1   10:40  Louis Gaughan, Bathgate Golf Club
           Jordan Fraser, Prestwick Golf Club
           Rachel Foster, Turnberry (am)

1   10:50  John Paterson, St Andrews New (am)
           Steven O'Hara, N Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd
           Katy McNicoll, Gullane Golf Club

1   11:00  Helen Jones (a), Royal Portrush (am)
           Marc Owenson, Gullane Golf Club
           Harry Miller, Royal St George's Golf Club

1   11:10  Pol Berg, St Andrews (am)
           Ben Munro, Elgin Golf Club
           David Grindell, Inverness Golf Club

1   11:20  Kris Nicol, Dunes Golf Centre
           Paul Moultrie, Royal Troon (am)
           Cameron Marr, Musselburgh Golf Club

1   11:30  Calum Nairn, Prestwick St Nicholas G.C.
           Emma Hale, Royal Troon (am)
           Mark O'Donnell, Stirling Golf Club

1   11:40  Jasmine Mackintosh, Hazlehead (am)
           Euan Campbell, Paisley Golf Club
           Adam Rolfe, Royal Troon Golf Club

1   11:50  Andy Fyfe, Carnoustie (am)
           Andrew Pillans, Banchory Golf Club
           Euan Bowden, North Berwick Golf Club

1   12:00  Ellen Caton, St Andrews (am)
           Patrick McKenna, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre
           Euan MacDonald, Musselburgh Golf Club

1   12:10  Gabrielle Macdonald, Craigielaw (am)
           Keir McNicoll, Carnoustie Golf Links
           Callum Greenhill, Renaissance Club


Complete information is available at Tournament Information Page (TIP) on the PGA in Scotland website.

CLICK HERE

Junior Golf Tour finale results at Dalmahoy West

 

FROM WALTER BURNS

Here are the results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour event at Dalmahoy yesterday on the West course. This was the finale of our winter season and the format was 9:9Golf where only the best nine holes count.

The finale is a family event with many of the parents taking part. There was a better-ball team competition in addition to the individual and skills competitions.

 

Weather wise it has been a difficult year for the Junior Tour with many tournaments having to be cancelled. Thankfully spring arrived this weekend and Sunday was a nice day for playing golf and everyone had a fun time.

 

The scoring was very good with Aamar Saleem getting the best score from the juniors with 4 under par 30. In the dads' event Mike Balman scored a very impressive 7 under par 27.

 

Thanks to our Coaches Scott and Kendal for organising the skills tests.

 

Leading Scores

 

Under 18 years

31           Roddy McCauley (Fereneze)

32           Liam Kirkham (Troon Welbeck)

33          Jack Lockhart (Pitreavie), Jason Balman (Dunblane)

 

Under 15 years

30          Aamar Saleem (St Andrews)    

32          Jamie Gibb (Aboyne), John Jack (Gourock)

33           Lyall Jack (Gourock)

 

The Adults

 

27           Mike Balman (Dunblane)

30          John Jack Sr (Gourock)

35          Robert Lockhart (Saline)

36          Bill Gibb (Aboyne)

 

The team event was won by Mike and Jason Balman and John and Lyall Jack with 8 under 60.

 

The handicap team event was won by  Rory Bennett (Dalmahoy), Liam Kirkham and Aamar Saleem with nett 54.

 

The handicap prize was won by Jason Balman (handicap 14) with 7 under par 26.

 

Robert Lockhart (handicap 12) won the adults' handicap prize with 6 under par 29.

 

The skills challenges were won by Jack Lockhart.

 

 

Next event will be summer Golfathon at Drumoig on May 28.

 

  

Walter Burns

Scottish Junior Golf Tour

Scots Vets trail at end of Day 1 in Royal Belfast

 Mary McKenna with the trophy, flanked by the team captains: Ellie Whyte (left) and Valerie Hassett (right)

Irish Senior Ladies  v Scottish Vets
 at Royal Belfast Golf Club  

Day 1 Four-ball results (3.5-0-5)

Irish names first

Sheena McIlroy and Laura Webb  beat Sheena Wood and Elaine Moffat 2 and 1

Suzanne Corcoran and Gertie McMullen beat Gillian Kyle and Lorna McKinley 1 hole.

Catherine Reilly and Mary MacLaren halved with Fiona DeVries and Lesley Lloyd 

Helen Jones and Margaret McAuliffe beat Frances Millar and Jennifer Bryan 2 and 1. 

Eight singles matches Monday morning

Gertie McMullen v Lesley Lloyd

Helen Jones v Frances Millar

Mary MacLaren v Gillian Kyle

Margaret McAuliffe v  Fiona DeVries

Sheena McIlroy v  Sheena Wood

Suzanne Corcoran v Elaine Moffat 

Catherine Reilly v Jennifer Bryan

Laura Webb v  Lorna McKinley

Reed claims maiden Major title in USA
1 -2-3 finish at Masters

The image of Patrick Reed with the trophy is by courtesy of Getty Images

Final Report

Patrick Reed claimed his maiden Major Championship title after holding off the charges of Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler to win the Masters Tournament in a 1-2-3 USA finish at Augusta National.

The final day was billed as a potential classic, especially as Reed teed off alongside Grand Slam-chasing Rory McIlroy in the final group. Although the Northern Irishman’s chances ended in disappointment, Augusta National still sprung up the usual drama associated with the first Major of the season.

The 2015 Masters Champion Spieth was the first to test the nerve of the overnight leader Reed, threatening the course record with a remarkable streak of nine birdies in the opening 16 holes, including four in five from the 12^th.

An unfortunate break on the final hole though, where his drive clipped the trees mid-air and dropped just short of 180 yards from the tee in the rough, spoiled his chances as a bogey five meant he had to settle for an eight under 64 and a 13 under total.

Next up was another Texan, Fowler, who birdied the last to post a 14 under total after a five under 67, but Reed stayed resilient the whole way through and a two-putt par at the last for a one under 71 was enough to clinch a one-stroke triumph on 15 under par.

The 27 year old’s victory means that for the first time in Masters history, three successive winners of the event have been full members of the European Tour - following Sergio Garcia in 2017 and Danny Willett in 2016.

Player quotes:

Patrick Reed

“I knew it was going to be tough. Any time trying to close off a golf tournament is really hard, but to close off your first Major and to do it at a place that is so close to me.

“I knew that the lead was going to shrink at some times, I knew the lead could grow, it's just the flows of golf. You just have to know how to handle it and the only way I felt like I could get that done was to make sure the putter was working.

“It was tough out there but to be able to make that putt on 14 and then to make the two-putt on 17, it just gave me that momentum going to 18 which in the past has given me so many issues.

“It's almost impossible to put into words. Just to make the par on the last and watch the ball go in the hole and know that I've won my first Major. One of my huge goals this year was to not only contend in Majors but also get back in that winning circle. To do it in the first Major and finish off that drought, it just meant so much to me.”

Rickie Fowler

“It was a great week to get ourselves in the mix and to have a strong weekend, unlike last week. I feel like we got the boxes checked that we wanted to last week in Houston coming into here at Augusta, and I was ready to go win. Unfortunately I was one shot short, but we were able to keep P‑Reed honest out there, at least making him earn it.

“I mean, solo second feels and sounds better than tied for second, so it was nice to edge out Jordan on the last.

“Obviously I’m happy for him. We've played a lot of junior golf together and we've been on some great teams together, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. Sure, it would have been a lot more fun to beat him, but I'm happy with what we did here. Like I said, a step in the right direction.

“We haven't been having the best weekends as of late, so to put ourselves in contention and to put together a nice weekend of 65-67, especially here, I'm happy about that.”

Jordan Spieth

“The first time I saw the leaderboard was after I tapped in on 18, honest to God. I didn't look once today. That was my plan going in. I'm nine back, go out and just have fun, don't worry about the golf tournament itself, worry about playing Augusta National. I heard roars. I knew somebody was playing well.

“With eight people ahead of me starting the day, to get that much help and shoot a fantastic round was nearly impossible. But I almost pulled off the impossible. I had no idea. When I finished and I looked at the board I could have been in the lead by two and I could have been down four. And neither one would have surprised me.

“It was nice. I look back, and, man, I did everything right. The two days prior, too, and the lid was just on the hole. And then guys have chipped in for eagle, balls have stayed out of the water, there’s hit pins when they’re going off the green. When you win, you get these kind of breaks and it's happened to me every single time I've won. And you get a break or two throughout the golf tournament that could be a game changer.”

Jon Rahm

“There weren't many downs today. The only down I would say is the second shot on 15. It's sad, because I played so good the last three days and that one shot where I feel like I made a perfect swing and it wound up in the water. 

“It’s just hurtful. It’s actually two of them, 13 yesterday and today on 15. Besides that, I think I handled myself really well. I played good golf, gave myself plenty of opportunities. I wish I would have made a couple more putts, but it is what it is, it's hard to win a Major Championship.”

Rory McIlroy

“I played probably some of the best golf I’ve ever played here this week, it just wasn’t meant to be. Of course it’s frustrating and it’s hard to take any positives from it right now but at least I put myself in a position, that’s all I’ve wanted to do.

 “For the last four years I’ve had top tens but I haven’t been close enough to the lead. Today I got myself there, I didn’t quite do enough but I’ll still come back next year and try again.

“I think 100% I can come back and win here. I’ve played in two final groups in the last seven years, I’ve had five top tens, I play this golf course well. I just haven’t played it well enough at the right times.

“I can’t give a good answer as to what I can take from this into the future because I’m just off the 18^thgreen but I’ll sit down and reflect over the next few days and see what I could have done better.”

FINAL TOTALS
par 288 (4x72)

273 P Reed (USA) 69 66 67 71
274 R Fowler (USA) 70 72 65 67 
275 J Spieth (USA) 66 74 71 64 
277 J Rahm (Spn) 75 68 65 69 
279 R McIlroy (NIre 69 71 65 74, H Stenson (Swe) 69 70 70 70, B Watson (USA) 73 69 68 69, C Smith (Australia) 71 72 70 66
280 M Leishman (Australia) 70 67 73 70 
281 D Johnson (USA) 73 68 71 69, T Finau (USA) 68 74 73 66
282 J Rose (Eng) 72 70 71 69, L Oosthuizen (SAfr) 71 71 71 69, C Hoffman (USA) 69 73 73 67
283 R Henley (USA) 73 72 71 67, P Casey (Eng) 74 75 69 65
284 T Fleetwood (Eng) 72 72 66 74, J Thomas (USA) 74 67 70 73
285 H Matsuyama (Jpn) 73 71 72 69 
286 W Simpson (USA) 76 73 70 67, F Molinari (Ita) 72 74 70 70, J Day (Australia) 75 71 69 71, J Walker (USA) 73 71 71 71
287 A Hadwin (Canada) 69 75 72 71, B Grace (SAfr) 73 73 74 67, S Kim (SKor) 75 73 68 71, B Wiesberger (Austria) 70 73 72 72 
288 R Moore (USA) 74 72 72 70, S Kodaira (Jpn) 71 74 71 72, M Kuchar (USA) 68 75 72 73, K Kisner (USA) 72 75 69 72 
289 A Scott (Aus) 75 73 70 71, D Berger (USA) 73 74 71 71, H Li (China) 69 76 72 72, T Woods (USA) 73 75 72 69 
290 Z Johnson (USA) 70 74 74 72, P Mickelson (USA) 70 79 74 67 
291 F Couples (USA) 72 74 73 72, R Cabrera Bello (Spn) 69 76 74 72, J Vegas (Ven) 77 69 72 73, B Dechambeau (USA) 74 74 72 71, M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 75 74 67 75, B Langer (Ger) 74 74 71 72 
292 B Harman (USA) 73 74 76 69, T Hatton (Eng) 74 75 73 70, I Poulter (Eng) 74 75 74 69, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 79 70 72 71
294 M Kaymer (Ger) 74 73 74 73 
295 V Singh (Fij) 71 74 79 71
296 X Schauffele (USA) 71 78 72 75, D Ghim (am) (USA) 72 76 74 74
297 K Stanley (USA) 72 74 75 76 
298 C Reavie (USA) 76 71 75 76

The top 12 and ties earn spots in next year’s Masters

TOP 20 IN PRIZEMONEY

1	-	Patrick Reed									$1,980,000
2	1	Rickie Fowler									$1,188,000
3	6	Jordan Spieth									$748,000
4	-	Jon Rahm									$528,000
T5	7	Cameron Smith									$386,375
T5	1	Bubba Watson									$386,375
T5	-	Henrik Stenson									$386,375
T5	3	Rory McIlroy									$386,375
9	3	Marc Leishman									$319,000
T10	5	Tony Finau									$286,000
T10	1	Dustin Johnson									$286,000
T12	3	Charley Hoffman									$231,000
T12	-	Louis Oosthuizen									$231,000
T12	-	Justin Rose									$231,000
T15		Paul Casey									$192,500
T15		Russell Henley									$192,500
T17		Justin Thomas									$170,500
T17		Tommy Fleetwood									$170,500
19		Hideki Matsuyama									$154,000
T20		Webb Simpson									$128,150
T20		Francesco Molinari									$128,150
T20		Jimmy Walker									$128,150
T20	]	Jason Day									$128,150