BUCKHAVEN PUPIL WINS ALFRED 

DUNHILL SCHOOLS' GOLF CHALLENGE

 

  NEWS RELEASE

Fifteen-year-old Buckhaven High School pupil Steven McLelland has won both the senior boys' category and the overall scratch prize at this year’s Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge over the Kittocks Course at The Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews.

This year’s tournament once again saw a strong field of young golfers from across Fife, Dundee and Angus competing for honours in the annual schools event.

Playing off a handicap of 13, Steven shot a round of 80 to card a net score of 67 to take this year’s title. The S4 pupil, who lives in Leven Links and has played the sport for only two years, claimed he was delighted but a bit surprised with his victory. 

“I didn’t come here expecting to win,” he said. “My game just all came together today, especially the putting. I one and two putted most of the greens and also managed to get birdies on the 3^rd and 14^th hole which was fantastic.”

In terms of future plans to develop his game, Steven said: “I don’t have any firm plans at this stage but I would love to be able to improve to the point I could potentially land a golf scholarship and I’m also considering the possibly of studying to be a coach.”

Other winners of this year’s competition included Angus-based Kirsty Brodie who followed up last year’s victory in the junior girls' competition by winning the senior

girls' category. Kirsty, a pupil at Webster High School in Kirriemuir, recorded a net score of 73. A five handicap golfer, she has played the sport since the age of four and has represented Scotland Under 16s at the R and A Junior Open.

Meanwhile Cameron Akers, an S2 pupil at Cupar’s Bell Baxter High School, won the junior boys' category witha net score of 68 and Evana Hynd, an S2 pupil at Glenrothes High School, took the junior girls' title with a net score of 76.

The winners will be invited to receive their Alfred Dunhill Schools Golf Challenge prizes at The Old Course, St Andrews on the final day of this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday, October 4.

 All the participants will also be invited, together with their parents and a school representative, to attend an exclusive golf clinic on the Championship practice ground given by the internationally renowned golf coach Robert Baker.