10/06/12
Glenbervie’s Graeme Robertson produced a fabulous final round 64 over the Old Course to finish third in the St Andrews Links Trophy today, but Dutchman Daan Huizing cruised to victory by setting a new record low score for the tournament.
The 21 year-old finished on an incredible 23-under-par total of 264 after rounds of 65 on the New Course and 64, 68 and 67 on the Old Course.
Huizing shaved nine shots off the previous record score in the 72-hole tournament and finished 14 shots clear of 2009 champion Alan Dunbar from Rathmore in second place.
It was the type of golf reminiscent of a certain Tiger Woods who waltzed to Open glory at St Andrews in 2000.
Huizing, currently ranked ninth in the world amateur rankings, became the first player to win the St Andrews Links Trophy and the Lytham Trophy in the same year following on from another brilliant 11-shot victory at Royal Lytham a few weeks ago.
The only blemishes in two near faultless rounds on the Old Course today were twice putting his second shot at the first hole into the Swilcan Burn.
Having led the event from start to finish, Huizing shrugged of those errors and birdied the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 14th and 15th holes this afternoon on his way to a final round five-under-par 67.
"This afternoon I hit my second to the first a bit fat but after that had a lot of birdie chances through good wedge play to the first 10 greens," he said. "I was hitting them close and didn't hole many big putts. I have improved my attitude this year and have been concentrating on distance control."
Robertson, the SGU National Men’s Squad player, carded an eight-under 64 to surge through the field and claim third spot, 15 strokes behind Huizing.
The University of Stirling student continued his consistent year, with the SGU Men's Order of Merit leader having already won the Craigmillar Park Open in 2012.
South African Amateur champion Brian Soutar, the only other Scot to make the cut, finished on level par in a tie for 22nd place.
>> Click here for final scores from the St Andrews Links Trophy
* A final round 68 ensured Callum Macaulay a ninth-place finish at the Kärnten Golf Open earlier today, leaving the Tulliallan professional the leading Scot at the European Challenge Tour event.
Macaulay’s four-under-par effort took him to 12 under for the tournament –eight shots behind eventual winner, Gary Stal of France.
The 28-year-old has climbed one place on the Challenge Tour rankings, from 20th to 19th, and is currently the only Scot currently in the all-important top 20 who would graduate to the European Tour for 2013.
It was, however, a productive week for the Challenge Tour’s tartan contingent, with Scott Henry (-10), Jamie McLeary (-8), Gavin Dear (-8), David Law (-6) and Scott Druimmond (-5) all showing glimpses of the kind of form required to join Macaulay in the higher echelons of the rankings.