Andy McLachlan is boys' winner at Kingsbarns

Carly shows class in winning Scottish
Junior Champion girls' title with 67

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Carly Booth was crowned the queen of Kingsbarns today (November 2) as she produced a regal five-under-par 67 in winning the Scottish Junior Champion of Champions girls' title at Kingsbarns Link, Fife.
All national and county champions were invited to create a high quality field. Yet on the same links that older brother Wallace went unbeaten when playing for Great Britain & Ireland in the St Andrews Trophy earlier this year, Carly – who this year became the youngest ever member of a Curtis Cup team - was in a class of her own.
Five birdies in the first seven holes and eight in all meant that in spite of losing a ball to double bogey the 14th, the 16-year-old from Comrie won by a commanding five-shot margin. Rachel McQueen of Troon Ladies was the only girl to match par.
It was a fine way to round off the season for the Scottish Under-18 match-play girls champion who had only played the course once before in a practice round with her brother. That proved to be a chastening experience for Wallace as Carly demonstrated her form when, in spite of him forcing her to pay off the men’s tees, she beat the newly crowned world champion.
“That round with Wallace gave me a lot of confidence for this event,” said the plus three-handicapper who won the prestigious European Young Masters as a 15-year-old last season.
“The conditions were really clear and fresh today and I played really well, so I’m delighted with this result.”
The boys' event was a closer run affair with Bonnyton’s Andy McLachlan matching Booth’s 67 to win by two strokes from Mark Dickson of Gullane. An unblemished front nine saw McLachlan set up an unassailable lead as he produced five birdies to go out in 31.
Curiously, he too lost a ball at the 14th to double bogey that hole. Yet the advantage he had built up meant he had enough of an advantage to hold off Dickson’s challenge in spite of the Gullane player producing back to back eagles at the 11th and 12th holes, as well as birdieing that tricky 14th.
“I collected at pretty much every hole…my putting went really well,” said the 16-year-old who won this year’s SGU Junior Tour event at Kilmarnock (Barassie).
McLachlan, a plus one handicapper, has had to make adjustments to his game after a substantial growth spurt over the winter and felt this title was a reward for that hard work.
“I’ve worked really hard and it is all beginning to come together,” said the Scotland under-18 squad member.
“I’m in a really good frame of mind and I’m really looking forward to our SGU warm weather training camp in Portugal.”
BOYS' SCORES
Par 72. CSS 73
67 Andrew McLachlan.
69 Mark Dickson.
70 Colin Baird.
71 Sam Binning.
72 Mark Bookless, Daniel Young, Kyle Godsman.
73 Paul Shields.
74 Fraser McKenna.
75 Adam Dunton, James Ross, Kyle Smith, David Law.
76 Ryan Campbell, Callum Trahan, Sam McLaren, Colin Thomson.
77 Colin Robinson, Oliver Huish.
78 Grant Dowie, Ben Sloan, Scott Brown, Jordon McColl.
79 Thomas Sharkey, Chris Corbett, Nicky Clenaghan.
80 Stuart Boyle, Peter Ramsay.
81 Liam Haldane, Darryn Grant, Tom Blennerhassett.
82 Jamie Thomson.
83 Liam Johnston.
84 Steven McPherson, Simon Fairburn.
89 Ian Anderson.
90 Ryan Coll.
NR James Monaghan.
GIRLS
67 Carly Booth.
72 Rachael McQueen.
76 Kelsey MacDonald.
81 Lesley Atkins.
84 Annabel Niven.
85 Gillian Simpson.
87 Jill Meldrum.
88 Sammy Vass, Isla Craigie.
90 Shannen McGuire.
96 Louise McGillivray.
NRs Aillie Burnett, Jordynn Laird.