Ayrshire student confirms No 3 WAGR behind Byrne, Kellett

Michael Stewart scores second win on US college circuit

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Troon's Michael Stewart, winner of the Scottish boys' match-play championship in 2008, has scored his second win on the United States men's college golf circuit.
The 20-year-old second-year student, pictured right, at East Tennessee State University, Jefferson City, birdied the last hole, getting down in two shots from 111yd, to win the Coca Cola Wofford Invitational at CC of Spartanburg in South Carolina.
Stewart's scores were 72, 66 and 71 for a seven-under-par total of 209. The 66 was, by three strokes, his best of the 2009-2010 college season.
Runners-up on 210 were Irish team-mate Seamus Power from Waterford with 68-71-71 for 210 and Jacobo Pastor (Charleston Southern) who hit the same mark with rounds of 72, 70 and 68.
“I told our assistant coach (Keith Nolan) on the 18th hole that I wanted to know what I had to do to win outright,” Stewart said. “He showed me three fingers, indicating I needed a birdie 3. I had 111 yards to go after my drive and I hit a 54-degree wedge to four feet, and made the putt. It’s a big confidence booster to be playing well like this."
Other East Tennessee State students in the top 25 were Paul O'Kane from Castledawson, Northern Ireland in joint sixth place with scores of 73, 69 and 71 for 213; Garth McGee from Banor in a share of 18th place on 218 (72-71-75) and Rhys Enoch from Cornwall on 220 (jt 24th) with rounds of 75, 73 and 72.
East Tennesssee State (847) won the team title ahead of USC Upstate (862) and Wofford College (863) in a field of 13 teams.
Stewart's indiviual win over a good-class field of 70 players confirmed his position as the No 3 Scot in the latest update of the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Banchory's James Byrne, a student at Arizona State Univesity, is the top Scot in 31st position overall, down one place from last week.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) has gone up one place to No 49 while Stewart's victory earned him a rise of 21 places to No 167.
The leading Scots in the R&A WAGR this week are:
31 James Byrne (-1).
49 Ross Kellett (+1).
167 Michael Stewart (+21).
261 Glenn Campbell (-3).
308 Mark Hillson (-8).
319 James White (-12).
383 David Law (+2).
412 Stuart Ballingall (+119).
440 Philip McLean (-11).
510 Fraser McKenna (-15).
516 Steven McEwan (-16).
545 Bobby Rushford (-25).
567 Kris Nicol (-17).
592 Greg Paterson (-13).
611 Peter Latimer (-17).
619 Daniel Sommerville (-43).
637 Scott Crichton (+3).
662 James Ross (-12)./
684 Gordon Yates (-14).
721 Gordon Stevenson (-37).
760 Paul Ferrier (-3).
766 Paul Shields (+28).
786 Craig Watson (-22).
816 Scott Borrowman (-15).
870 Sam Binning (+1).
905 Andrew Gusnon (-38).
932 Fraser Fotheringham (-36).
942 Paul Betty (-37).
962 Michael Daily (-27).
975 Alexander Culverwell (+4).
1018 Steven Rennis (-22).
1047 Adam Dunton (-24).
1077 Neil Henderson (-82).
1078 Ross Crowe (+232).
1171 Chris Harkins (-32).
1176 Matthew Clark (-32).
1212 Lewis Kirton (-118).
1223 Stephen Speirs (-193).
1257 Colin Thomson (+37).
1296 Nicky Barr (-19).
1297 Ross Bell (-19).
1354 Allyn Dick (-27).
1405 Chris Robb (-26).
1495 Grant Forrest (+429).
1561 James Hendrick (-37).
1576 David Addison (-35).

THE TOP FIVE IN THE R&A WAGR THIS WEEK ARE:
1 Matteo Manassero (Italy) (no change).
2 Nick Taylor (Canada) (no change).
3 Victor Dubuisson (France) (no change).
4 Peter Uihlein (US) (+1).
5 Tommy Fleetwood (England) (+1).