24/06/12
Liam Johnston, runner-up in the Scottish Boys match and stroke play events last year, today produced a brilliant course record 62 at Killermont to win the Glasgow Golf Club's prestigious Tennant Cup.
The Dumfries & County teenager, 19, fired the eight-under-par round, shaving a shot from the course record, to produce an astonishing comeback to win by a shot from Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) in the 72-hole event.
Johnston, who has just completed his freshman year at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where he is studying psychology, was in joint 18th position after opening rounds of 76 and 75 in the rain and wind at Glasgow Gailes yesterday. That was 11 shots behind the halfway leader, Scott Crichton of Aberdour after his 71, 69 start.
But Crichton could do no better than rounds of 73 and 74 in better conditions today, while Johnston stormed through the field with a 68 and the 62 for a 281 total and victory in the SGU Men's Order of Merit event.
Johnston, who has only been back in Scotland for three weeks ahead of returning to America on 20 August, said: "I struck the ball nicely and hit a lot of greens to give myself chances.
"I then holed a lot of putts, crucial putts at good times. You know when you get the putter going that it's going to be a low one.
"America has definitely helped me. The facilities are ideal for what you want to do. I play and practice every day and it's good competition against guys of a similar standard."
Clark carded four rounds of 77, 70, 68 and 67 to be runner-up on 282, while Fraser McKenna (Balmore) also came charging into a share of third with closing rounds of 65 and 67 for 287, the same mark as Michael Daily (Erskine) and Crichton.
McKenna said: “I knew I had to pick up shots today so I just went for it and had a go at everything. My 65 was nice, but you can’t argue with Liam’s course record. To do that is really good going.”
Defending champion James White (Lundin) finished joint seventh, eight shots behind the victor. Johnston is among the field competing in the next Men's Order of Merit event this weekend, the East of Scotland Championship on White's home course.
Round-up
* Paul Lawrie, whose Foundation sponsor the Scottish Boys Championship, continued his bid for a Ryder Cup place at Medinah in September after finishing as top Scot at the BMW International Open in Germany.
Lawrie closed with a final round 69 for a share of 23rd place as Danny Willett won a play-off with Marcus Fraser to take the title. Lawrie sits third on the European Points List as he seeks to book his place on Jose Maria Olazabal’s team this summer.
* Heavy overnight rain forced the Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts at Spey Valley, Aviemore to be reduced to 54 holes.
Despite the tireless efforts of the greenkeeping staff, the final round of the tournament had to be abandoned with Sam Walker eventually beating Simon Wakefield at the third playing of the 18th hole after they were tied overnight.
Chris Doak finished tied fourth, in the process claiming the Douglas Brodie Lowe Memorial Trophy, awarded to the highest Scotsman, for the second time in a row.
* Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol tied 13th and Motherwell’s Ross Kellett shared 19th in this weekend's Alps Tour event in France, the Open International du Haut Poitou.
Kellett sits seventh in the Order of Merit rankings after a successful rookie season on the satellite tour to date.
* Scotland’s Andrew Oldcorn finished two shots behind Massy Kuramoto, as the Japanese player claimed his second European Senior Tour victory in the Van Lanschot Senior Open in The Netherlands. Oldcorn had to settle for second place for the second tournament in a row.