Scottish golf round up: St Andrews record plus title triumphs for Fife, Lothians and North

St Andrews Town Match sets new record

A record number of golfers played in the historic 100th staging of the Town Match in St Andrews - the largest annual one-day amateur golf match in the world.

A total of 916 players competed in the event on this occasion over the Old, New, Jubilee and Strathtyrum Courses for the anniversary edition.

As 229 matches took place across the four St Andrews Links courses, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews ran out winners by the score of 122½ to 106½.

Ian Pattinson, captain of the club, was presented with the victorious silverware – the Bobby Jones Casket – in front of the clubhouse.

David Sandford, who has played in the event every year since 1996, said: “The Town Match embodies the community spirit of St Andrews. The whole town and the local clubs enjoy the occasion.”

Fife rack up latest Scottish Men’s title triumph

Fife went nearly 35 years without winning the Scottish Men’s Area Team Championship - but now the floodgates have opened.

A team with a blend of youth and experience landed the 2025 title at Elgin, adding to a long-awaited breakthrough win in 2011 at Prestwick then subsequent successes in 2013 (Crail) and 2019 (Leven Links and Scoonie).

In this year’s edition, Fife thumped Glasgow 8-1 in the semi-finals before finishing off the job with an equally-impressive 7-2 victory over Renfrewshire in the title decider.

Scottish Boys’ champion Finlay Galloway was in this winning team, which also included three-time Scottish PGA champion Chris Kelly and past Scottish Order of Merit winner James White.

The other team members on this occasion were David Paterson, Greg Wishart and Andrew Davidson while it was captained by Kevin Blyth.

“It’s hard to believe it took us until 2011 to win our first title, but to have been on every winning side since has been fantastic,” said White of that particular feat.

Tartan Tour double for Paul O’Hara

Paul O’Hara topped the Arnold Clark PGA in Scotland Order of Merit after pipping Craig Lee for the second time in quick succession.

O’Hara’s success in the season-long points battle came hot on the heels of him beating Lee in a thrilling title battle in the Ramsdens Currency Scottish PGA Championship at Scotscraig.

Holding his nerve over a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, O’Hara landed the coveted title for a second time with a 17-under-par total at the Fife venue.

“I’m a much better player now than I was when I first won this in 2019,” said the champion. I’ve won on a tour out in the US, I’ve had starts on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, so I’ve had plenty of experience at the top level.”

Helped by also winning one of the circuit’s OOM Challenge events at Cawder, O’Hara topped the points table on 786, with Lee second on 592, followed by Gavin Hay (566) in third.

Lothians are boy wonders for third year running

Lothians have been crowned as the Scottish Boys’ Area Team champions for the third year in a row and 14th time in total.

A team captained by Colin Ramsay completed a brilliant hat-trick by defending the trophy once again at Hamilton with an aggregate of 355.

Aidan Lawson (Bruntsfield Links), Oliver Henderson (Bathgate), Eddie Jackson (Turnhouse) and Hayden Fowler (Bathgate) were the triumphant team members on this occasion.

Lawson, last year’s European Young Masters champion, led the way in the singles as he carded a five-under 66, with Henderson backing him up with a 68.

Lawson’s effort saw him claim the individual prize, the Niagara Trophy, for the second year in a row.

“Three titles in a row and three gold medals for Aidan is a remarkable achievement,” said Ramsay. “He is also eligible for next year’s event at Lochmaben along with Oliver and Eddie.”

GolfSixes’ success for Scottish Golf

Scottish Golf has reported a record-breaking season of GolfSixes League action in 2025 featuring juniors from all regions of the country.

GolfSixes League, the national programme that caters for young, beginner golfers, was piloted by the governing body in 2018.

This year, 145 clubs - eight more than in 2024 - signed up for Golf Sixes events while 33 local leagues were in play, up from 30 last year.

Fraser Crawford, participation manager at Scottish Golf, said: “The 2025 GolfSixes season has been a brilliant success thanks to the combined efforts of the clubs, the team managers and volunteers and, of course, the super enthusiastic youngsters who took part in our activities.”

North win Scottish Women’s County Finals

North secured Scottish Women’s County title for the first time in 16 years at Alyth.

After three days of match-play competition at the Perthshire venue, captain Jenny Milne led her eight-strong team to glory.

A hat-trick of wins against Midlothian, Lanarkshire and Dumfriesshire clinched North’s seventh title triumph in the event’s 116-year history.

“It feels fantastic,” said a jubilant Milne. “It was such a great team effort. There’s a real bond in the team.

“We’ve played really well in the last three years to win our jamboree and get to the Finals and have been edging closer and closer. To finally be champions is great.”

Ellie Docherty had an eye-catching event as an individual, joining the equally-impressive Kaci Robertson in winning five-and-half points for her team from six matches.

Soam’s sweet success at Trump Turnberry

Ladybank’s Subodh Soam pulled off a stunning win in the 2025 Scottish Open Series Grand Final.

The 40-year-old birdied the last at Trump Turnberry’s King Robert the Bruce Course for a net one-under-par 71 to come out on top in the Scottish Golf-run event.

“This means a lot because I have been preparing so hard for this competition,” said Soam, a psychiatrist with NHS Fife who was playing off a Handicap Index of 12.4.

He added of the event: “It’s been very enjoyable. The atmosphere is great and the support we get from Scottish Golf is unbelievable especially for amateur golfers who have not been in these tournaments.

“I have been feeling very welcomed and it’s a great moment for amateurs to enjoy playing competitively."

Dundonald Links delight over GEO Certificate

Dundonald Links has achieved the GEO Certified® status for a fourth time, recognising its outstanding long-term commitment and effort to promote environmental and social sustainability.

The Ayrshire venue, which is owned by Darwin Escapes and hosted the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open once again this year, is just the 40th worldwide to have accredited the award for a fourth time.

Frank Clarkson, group superintendent at Darwin Escapes, said: “At Dundonald Links, we are extremely proud of our Ayrshire heritage. It’s an area renowned for its beautiful landscapes, enviable larder, and golfing history.

“We pledge our commitment to preserving heritage, strengthening community links, investing in people, and managing our impact as we continue the journey in pursuit of sustainable golf.”