(Report from Ayrshire Golf Association President David Miller)Troon Welbeck's David Wilson is the new Scottish Boys Champion following a remarkable fight back to defeat Dumfries and County's Liam Johnston at the second extra hole.
The final score does not reflect the drama which unfolded during an incredible 36 hole Final over a cold and windswept Dunbar East Links. Wilson had looked dead and buried after Johnston built an eight hole lead through fifteen holes of the morning round.
Some fine play, particularly around the greens coupled with an error strewn display by Wilson saw Johnston build, what he must have felt, was an unassailable lead standing on the sixteenth tee.
Wilson, to his credit, found the courage from somewhere to gain crucial wins at the seventeenth and eighteenth to subtly change the momentum in what, until that point, had been a one sided encounter.
The afternoon round saw a different Wilson and, although Johnston moved seven ahead again at the 22nd, the Troon Welbeck player slowly began to chip away at his lead.
The short game which had deserted him in the morning round began to gain assurance as the round progressed and, as he turned into the wind heading for home, some outstanding driving heaped further pressure on Johnston.
Despite a massive effort, Wilson's fight back looked to have been in vain as he lost the 33rd to go back to two down with two to play, but a crucial three putt by Johnston at the 35th, missing a five footer for the Championship, was to prove his undoing.
One down playing the last, Wilson missed the green on right as Johnston's tee shot found sand but a brilliant pitch to three feet saw the comeback complete before moving onto extra holes for more drama.
As Wilson's second shot ran through the green at the 37th, a fine approach by Johnston gave him another match winning opportunity from 12 feet.
Again his putt pulled up short and his final chance was gone as a cast iron par at the 38th hole gave Wilson the title.
Joy for Wilson but it was hard not to feel a great deal of sympathy for young Johnston who had played his part in one of the most incredible Finals in recent history.
Both players were a credit to the game and deserve considerable praise for conducting themselves with great dignity throughout, what must have been, a mentally draining day for both of them.
All in all an unforgettable victory by a young man whose composure, attitude and trust in his golf swing, especially when things were going so badly wrong, belied his youth. Well done David.
(Report from the Scottishgolf website)
Troon Welbeck’s David Wilson produced an astonishing comeback to beat Dumfries and County’s Liam Johnston at the second extra hole of a pulsating final to lift the Scottish Boys Championship title at Dunbar.
The 16-year-old from Troon’s championship challenge looked dead and buried as he found himself eight down after the first fifteen holes, and was still seven down with fourteen to play, but fought back with a superb display of golf in the afternoon round to become the first play-off winner of the event since Andrew Coltart’s triumph at the same venue back in 1985.
Johnston, runner-up in the SGU Boys’ Order of Merit last season, had a ten foot eagle chance to close out victory at the 37th hole, but his putt failed to drop, allowing Wilson to take the match up the 38th after he calmly rolled in his birdie putt from three feet. Playing the par five second extra hole, Johnston’s approach shot sailed over the green leaving him a difficult up and down for par which he couldn’t convert, leaving Wilson two putts for a championship winning par.
An elated Wilson commented: “Once I got a couple of holes back at the end of the morning round I knew I had a chance. My putting finally game good and I managed to get some momentum going after that.”
“It’s fantastic to win such a big tournament and it gives me belief I can on and achieve more. I feel for Liam as he played great this morning but I’m obviously delighted to have fought back so well this afternoon.” added Wilson, who becomes the third winner of the championship from the Troon Welbeck club after Andrew McQueen (1985) and Michael Stewart (2008).
In the morning round, Johnston looked the more assured player and was eight in front after pitching in for birdie from 30 yards at the par four 15th. Just as it looked like the Dumfries 18-year-old was running away with the match, Wilson responded to win the 16th and 17th and salvaged an important half at the 18th to be six down at the halfway stage.
Johnston extended his lead to seven after almost holing a bunker shot for eagle at the 22nd and Wilson three-putted for a par, but the Troon youngster bounced back immediately with a fine birdie two at the 23rd and won the next after a Johnston bogey. The gap was reduced to four after Wilson holed a 20-foot putt at the 26th and he found himself just three down after sinking a 6-foot birdie putt at the 27th.
The fightback continued as he won the 30th and 32nd, but Johnston halted the momentum by winning the 33rd and had a chance to win the match at the 35th, but three putted from long range after an excellent bunker shot approach. Wilson’s razor sharp short game helped him save par at the 36th holes to extend the match as Johnston’s 30-foot par attempt slipped past.
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