07/07/12
Fifer Scott Crichton will today begin his bid to defend the Cameron Corbett Vase at Haggs Castle, the venue for his maiden win on the SGU Order of Merit last year.
The 24-year-old from Aberdour, a member of this year’s SGU National Men’s Squad, beat Scotland international Philip McLean at the first extra hole of a sudden death play-off to highlight his best season on the amateur circuit in 2011.
Crichton, a former US college scholar, has so far struggled to recapture that form this year but a tie for third place at last month’s Tennant Cup illustrated a return to form.
The Cameron Corbett Vase is an internationally renowned 72-hole amateur tournament, played every year at Haggs Castle two weeks prior to The Open Championship.
A quality field have again assembled at the superb venue in Glasgow, with last weekend’s East of Scotland winner Allyn Dick, the champion at Haggs in 2009, hoping for another good two days.
James Ross (Royal Burgess) and Baberton’s Paul Ferrier are playing well too, with a number of SGU squad players also out for success, including Brian Soutar (Leven GS), Fraser McKenna (Balmore), Conor O’Neill (Pollok) and Paul Shields (Kirkhill).
Ferrier catapulted 325 places up the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) after reaching the semi-finals of last month's Amateur Championship at Royal Troon, with fellow Scot Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock (Barassie)) moving up 353 spots after also reacing the last four.
McDonald is currently the leading Scot on the WAGR at 107, with Soutar 134th, Graeme Robertson 181st and Ferrier 195th.
Shields, who just missed out on qualifying for The Open earlier this week, was tied third at Haggs Castle 12 months ago along with Robertson (Glenbervie).
Set in the magnificent mature parkland of the Pollok Estate, Haggs Castle has been a European Tour venue and has also hosted the Scottish PGA Championship.
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