(SGU press release)
Troon Welbeck’s Michael Stewart heads into next week’s Scottish Amateur Championship at Western Gailes (25 – 30 July) aiming to become the first golfer for twenty-eight years to successfully defend the title, writes the SGU's Ross Duncan.
The 21-year-old, who defeated Fraserburgh’s Jordan Findlay 3 and 2 in the final at Gullane twelve months ago, has enjoyed another superb season, winning the South African Amateur Championship in February before narrowly losing the final of The Amateur Championship at Hillside last month.
Legendary amateur Charlie Green was the last man to win back-to-back titles in 1982-83 and Stewart is relishing the prospect of retaining the championship in his native Ayrshire, believing he is a vastly improved player a year on from his East Lothian win.
“I’m relishing to the challenge of defending the title as it’s been a while since anyone’s achieved that. There will obviously be some extra pressure on me but I seem to thrive on that and play some of my best golf in pressure situations, as I did in some of my close matches last year,” said Stewart, who is eyeing a place in the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side to face the United States in September.
“All aspects of my game have improved since my win at Gullane and I would say I’m definitely a better golfer. The SGU squad training over the winter was of real benefit and the win in South Africa and my run in The Amateur Championship was great for my confidence. It will be nice playing at home in Ayrshire and I’m really looking forward to the week.” he added.
Scotland’s 256 leading amateur golfers representing 150 different clubs will descend on the Western Gailes links, which last hosted the championship in 2002 when Andrew McArthur defeated Scott Jamieson in a keenly contested final, before both players went on to compete on the European Tour.
Among Stewart’s challengers will be Banchory’s James Byrne, fresh from an excellent performance during Scotland’s European Team Championship campaign where he was undefeated in the match play stages. Byrne reached the semi-finals last season and will be looking for another positive showing ahead of next month’s Walker Cup selection.
The two leading men on the SGU Order of Merit circuit this summer are James White (Lundin) and Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) and both players will fancy their chances of success at Western Gailes.
White, the 2006 Scottish Boys Champion, already has a win and three second place finishes to his name this season, while Robertson, who led the Scottish Stroke Play Championship after three rounds, has chalked up five successive top-four places in his last five events.
Kirkhill’s Paul Shields will be one to watch virtue of his impressive match play record, reaching the final of this year’s South African Amateur Championship where he lost to Stewart, as well as successive silver medals in the Scottish Boys Championship.
The last Ayrshireman to win on home soil was Kilmarnock Barassie’s Jim Milligan in 1988, while former runners-up Allan Thomson (1981) and Paul McKellar (1977 & 79) – the latter representing the host club – take their place in the field hoping to recapture former glories.
Action gets underway on Monday morning at 0645 with 128 ties being played over the first two days. The 36-hole final will take place on Saturday 30 July with 0830 and 1300 tee-times. Live scoring and updates will be available throughout the week at www.scottishgolf.org.
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